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CAMBRIDGE
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BOOKS

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THE UNIVERSITY

OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND

MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

CAMBRIDGE TRAVEL BOOKS

THE
NORTH-WEST AND NORTH-EAST

PASSAGES, 1 576-161 1

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

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THE

NORTH-WEST AND

NORTH-EAST PASSAGES

1576-161 1

EDITED BY

PHILIP F. ALEXANDER, M.A.

HERTFORD COLLEGE, OXFORD

Cambridge :
at the University Press

l9lS

Camfcrt&ge :

PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, MA.
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

At

PREFACE

rpHE aim of the present series is to illustrate the
7*- history of geographical discovery by means of
select voyages and travels. These are usually written
by the discoverer himself, or by an eye-witness who
accompanied him on his journey. Apart from the
results achieved, they are full of interest, since they
tell the story of man's bravery in feeling his way over
an unknown world.

The English voyages of the sixteenth century (some
of which will be given in this series) record, moreover,
the deeds of the seamen who laid the foundation of
Britain's sea-power and of her Colonial Empire.

It is hoped that these books may be of service in
schools, used either as Readers, or as an aid to the
teaching of Geography. Spelling and punctuation
have been modernized wherever necessary, though
archaic words have been kept.

P. F. A.

Walberswick,

May 1915.

M316752

CONTENTS

PAGE

Introduction xi

Some Important Dates in the History of Discovery . xvii

THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE:

Frobisher: First Voyage (1576) 1

Frobisher: Second Voyage (1577) , . . . 10

Davis: First Voyage (1585) 48

Davis: Second Voyage (1586) 62

Davis: Third Voyage (1587) 78

Hudson: Last Voyage (1610) 88

THE NORTH-EAST PASSAGE :

Barents: Third Voyage (1596) 116

Appendix to the Third Voyage of Barents . . 199

Notes 202

MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS

The exact manner of the house wherein we wintered

Frontispiece
(This and the other illustrations to Barents are from

De Bry's India Orientalis, 1599. They are copies from

the original edition of De Veer — Amsterdam, 1598 — but

are better finished.) page

The only Passage (Bering Strait) and its approaches

as known now ....... x

Sir Martin Frobisher ....... xx

(From Holland's Heroologia, 1620.)
Part of North America and Greenland, to illustrate

Frobisher' s, Davis's and Hudson's Voyages . . 3

Hudson Bay and its approaches ..... 89

Wdlliam Barents 115

(From de Vries's Oud-Holland. Originally a vignette

in a chart published in Amsterdam between 1613 and

1615.)
a wonder in the heavens, and how we caught a bear. 117
Part of Hondius's Map of 1611, showing Barents's

discoveries . . . . . . . .119

How a bear came into our boat, and what took place

WITH HIM 120

Novaya Zemlya, showing entrances to Kara Sea . 123
how our ship stuck fast in the ice, whereby three of

us were nearly lost . . . . . .125

how the ice heaved up the fore part of our ship . . 126
how we botlt a house of wood, wherein to keep our-
selves through the winter . . . . .131

how we shot a bear, wherefrom we got a good hundred

pounds' weight of grease 147

how we made ready to sadl back again to holland . 154
how we prepared a way whereby we brought our boats

and goods to the sea ...... 159

True portraiture of our boats, and how we nearly got

into trouble with the sea-horses . . .177
Some of the relics brought from the winter house in
Novaya Zemlya, and now in the National Museum
at Amsterdam 198

a 5

The only Passage (Bering Strait) and its approaches as known now

(From Dr Brute's Polar Exploration, by kind permission of Messrs
Williams and Norgate)

INTRODUCTION

Venice, the seaport closest to the centre of Europe,
had gradually pushed her trade farther and farther
across the Mediterranean, until in the fifteenth century,
after the crushing defeat of Genoa/ — her only serious
rival — she was not only mistress of the Adriatic, but
the commercial capital of the world. Her trade routes
extended as far as the Sea of Azof, along the coasts of
Asia Minor and Syria, and to Alexandria, whence her
ships brought back the merchandise that had travelled
from the East along the great caravan routes that
stretched either from Suez to Alexandria, or from
Ormuz (at the entrance of the Persian Gulf), to Beyrout
or Aleppo. With this merchandise and the produce of
the Mediterranean she traded by land with central
Europe, and by sea to the west as far as England and
Flanders. Her splendour is thus described by the poet
Petrarch : " From my windows on the Riva degli
Schiavoni, I see vessels as large as my house with
masts taller than its towers. They sail to all parts
of the world, and brave a thousand dangers. They
carry wine to England ; honey to the Scythians ;
saffron, oil, linen to Assyria, Armenia, Persia and
Arabia ; wood to Egypt and Greece ; they return laden
with merchandise to be distributed all over Europe.
Where the sea ends, their sailors quit the ships and
travel on to trade with India and China j they cross

xii Introduction

the Caucasus and the Ganges, and reach the Eastern
Ocean1.''

From early in the fifteenth century Portuguese
sailors, inspired by their Prince Henry, had been trying
to find a sea-route to India, and though progress was
very, slow, their ships gradually crept down the coast
of Africa, until in 1486 Bartholomew Diaz rounded the
Cape of Good Hope. This was a deadly blow to
Venetian prosperity, as goods could be brought far
more cheaply from the East by sea than by land,
especially because exorbitant duties were exacted from
the caravans by the Mohammedan rulers of Syria and
Egypt. Ten years later Vasco da Gama sailed round
the Cape, and reached Calicut on the west coast of India.
The Portuguese then established themselves at Goa on
the same coast, seized Ormuz (one of the centres of
the trade with Venice), and in 1521 the Moluccas or
Spice Islands, and for fifty years held the monopoly of
trade with the East.

Christopher Columbus and his brother Bartholomew,
natives of Genoa, had after many voyages settled in
Portugal, about the year 1470. Ignorant of the
existence of America and the Pacific Ocean, Columbus
was convinced that a much nearer route to China and
India could be found by sailing westwards. As the
Portuguese king would not grant him the assistance
he needed for the voyage, he went to Spain and after
years of waiting obtained all he asked from Ferdinand
and Isabella. In 1492 he set sail and discovered
islands lying as he supposed off the coast of Asia, and
still known as the West Indies (the Indies reached by

1 Quoted from The Venetian Republic by Horatio Brown (J. M.
Dent and Co.).

Introduction xiii

the westward route). In 1493 the Pope, Alexander VI,
issued a Bull which practically divided all the world
outside Europe between Spain and Portugal, and then
followed the gradual discovery of the American con-
tinent by Spanish and Portuguese fleets, the conquest
of Mexico and Peru by the Spaniards, and the voyage
of Magellan's ship the Victoria (the first voyage round
the world) across the Pacific, by way of South America,
proving the existence of another great ocean besides
the Atlantic which lay between Europe and the East.

Other nations determined to obtain a share of the
wealth that was pouring into Spain and Portugal from
their new colonies. The French established themselves
in Canada, and the English and Dutch made attempts
to discover a way to the East, either by rounding the
coast of North America, which tapered, it was believed,
to a cape like Africa and South America (The North-
West Passage), or by sailing round Norway and along
the coasts of Russia and Siberia (The North-East
Passage).

In the reign of Henry VII, another Genoese, John
Cabot, who had settled in Bristol, had tried the north-
west route, and had re-discovered Newfoundland and
explored part of the coast of North America. In 1553
Sir Hugh Willoughby was lost in attempting the
North-East Passage, but Richard Chancellor, his pilot,
reached Archangel in another ship, and travelled over-
land to Moscow, opening a trade between England and
Russia. For a time, owing to the success of this trade,
no further attempt was made towards the north-east,
and attention was again directed to the north-west.

In 1576 Martin Frobisher started on his first
voyage, and discovered the passage into Baffin Land,

XIV

Introduction

now known as Frobisher Bay. In his two subsequent
voyages, practically nothing was done in the way of
discovery. They were indeed scarcely intended for
anything more than a mining adventure.

John Davis, a Devonshire man, a friend of the
Gilberts and their half-brother Sir Walter Ralegh,
and one of the most capable navigators of Queen
Elizabeth's reign, accomplished far more than any of
his predecessors in the way of discovery during his
three voyages of 1585-7. But his failure to find a
passage led to renewed attempts on the part of the
Dutch as well as the English towards the north and
north-east, though already one important expedition,
under Pet and Jackman, had been sent out in 1580
in the latter direction by the Russia or Muscovy
Company, and had been driven back by the ice in the
Kara Sea, with the loss of Jackman and his ship on
the return journey.

In 1594 the Dutch, who had before made several
attempts in the same direction, sent out three ships
accompanied by a small fishing boat, two of them
to follow the previous route by the south of Novaya
Zemlya, and one, of which Barents was commander,
together with the small boat, to attempt a passage
round the north of the island. After reaching, with
enormous difficulty, the Orange Islands, he was obliged
to turn back, falling in on his return journey with
the other ships which had been unable to cross the
Kara Sea. The following year a larger expedition, with
Barents as chief pilot, had no more success. In spite
of this, two ships again set out next year, 1596, carrying
Barents as pilot. They discovered Spitzbergen, and
separated. Barents's ship (commanded by Heemskerck)

Introduction xv

then sailed for Novaya Zemlya, and after rounding the
north of the island, was ice-bound on the east coast.
Here the crew built a house and remained for ten
months, in the hope that the ice would break up.
Summer came, and as the ship was still fast, they
embarked in two open boats, and after a voyage of
nearly 1700 miles reached Kola, and found Dutch
ships there, one of which took them back to Holland.
Barents and four others had died, but twelve out of
the ship's company of seventeen reached home in
safety.

This voyage, told in vivid detail by De Veer, who
accompanied Barents, is a very memorable one. For
the first time on record men had wintered far within
the Arctic zone. It had too a romantic sequel, when
nearly 300 years afterwards the relics of the winter
house were discovered. Barents is " perhaps the most
hardy and capable navigator ever produced by Hol-
land1."

To return to English attempts. Hudson in 1607
tried a new route to the north across the Polar Sea,
and again next year the old route to the north-east
by Novaya Zemlya. In 1609 he was employed by the
Dutch East India Company, and after a vain attempt
to pass Novaya Zemlya, he sailed westwards and
explored part of the American coast, and the. river
which now bears his name, and on which New York
stands. In 1610, at the expense of some London
merchants, he set out on his last voyage, to attempt
the North- West Passage. Sailing up the strait and into
the bay, which are now named after him, he was

1 Heawood, A History of Geographical Discovery in the 17th and
ISth centuries (Cambridge University Press).

xvi Introduction

abandoned by his mutinous crew, and nothing more
was ever heard of him.

In 1616, after several previous voyages, Baffin made
considerable discoveries in the bay which bears his
name. The attention of both English and Dutch was,
however, turning to the whale fishery, which the voyages
of Barents and Hudson had opened up, and little was
done in the way of exploration for many years. It
was not until 1728, when Peter the Great sent out
Bering for this purpose, that it was actually proved
that Asia was separated from America. He did not,
however, attempt the North-East Passage, but sailed
north from Kamtchatka, where he had built two ships.
In a subsequent voyage (1741) he proved that the water
that separated the two continents was a narrow strait.
Early voyages had been mainly for commercial reasons,
but Bering's were conducted in the cause of science.
Of later expeditions in the same cause, the most famous
are those of Sir John Franklin between 1819 and 1847,
but it was not until 1850-54 that M'Clure accomplished
the North- West Passage, nor until 1878-79 that a
Swedish explorer, Nordenskiold, succeeded in the North-
East Passage, along the north coast of Siberia.

Note. Frobisher's and Davis's Voyages are taken from Hak-
luyt's Principal Navigations, etc. and are given nearly complete.
Prickett's Narrative of Hudson's Last Voyage is from Purchas's
Pilgrims, omitting the earlier and less interesting portion. Barents's
Third Voyage is from a translation by W. Phillip published in 1609.
I have abridged this considerably, and have used for the purpose,
with the kind permission of the Hakluyt Society, the 2nd edition
of De Veer issued by them in 1876. This contains many valuable
corrections to Phillip's translation, a few of which I have incor-
porated in the text, while others will be found in the notes. The
extracts from Carlsen's log-book are from the same source.

SOME IMPORTANT DATES IN THE
HISTORY OF DISCOVERY

B.C.

327. Alexander the Great reaches India.
55. Julius Caesar visits Britain.

A.D.

861. The Vikings (under Naddod) discover Iceland.

877. Gunnbiorn discovers Greenland, which is colonised a few

years later by Eric the Red.
1000. Leif Ericson discovers Labrador (Helluland), Newfoundland

(Markland) and Nova Scotia (Vinland). Colonies are

founded, but afterwards abandoned.
1260-1271. Niccolo and Maffeo Polo (Marco Polo's father and

uncle) go on a trading expedition through Asia to China.
1271-1295. Marco Polo goes with them on a second journey to

the Court of Kublai Khan, and thence is sent as an envoy

to Cochin China, India, etc.
1418-1460. Prince Henry of Portugal (Henry the Navigator)

encourages discovery.
1420. Zarco discovers Madeira.

1455. Cadamosto reaches the Senegal and Cape Verde.
1484. Diego Cam discovers the Congo.
1486. Bartholomew Diaz rounds the Cape of Good Hope.

1492. Columbus discovers the West Indies.

1493. Columbus (2nd voyage) discovers Jamaica.

1497. Vasco da Gama reaches India by the Cape. On the way he
sees Natal (Christmas Day), and Mozambique, and lands
at Zanzibar.

1497. John Cabot re-discovers Newfoundland.

1498. Columbus (3rd voyage) discovers Trinidad and the Orinoco.

1499. Amerigo Vespucci discovers Venezuela (though great doubt

is now cast on the accuracy of his statements).

1500. Pedro Cabral discovers Brazil.

xviii Important Dates

1511. Serrano reaches the Moluccas (the Spice Islands).
1513. Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama, and sees the Pacific.
1519. Cortez conquers Mexico.

f 1519. Magellan starts on the first voyage round the world.
1520. Magellan sails past Monte Video, Patagonia, and Tierra del
Fuego, through his strait, and across the Pacific.
^ 1521. Magellan discovers the Ladrones, and is killed on the
Philippines.
1522. Sebastian del Cano, in Magellan's ship, Victoria, reaches

Spain.

1531. Pizarro conquers Peru.
1534. Cartier explores the St Lawrence.
1541. Orellana explores the Amazon.

1553. Sir Hugh Willoughby attempts the North-East Passage,

and sees Novaya Zemlya.

1554. Chancellor, Willoughby's pilot, reaches Archangel, and

travels thence to Moscow.
1558. Jenkinson travels from Moscow to Bokhara.
1576. Martin Frobisher discovers his bay.
1577-1580. Drake sails round the world — the first Englishman

who does this.
1586-88. Cavendish sails round the world.
1586. Davis sails through his strait.
1596. Barents discovers Spitzbergen.
1605. Torres discovers his strait.
1608. Champlain discovers Lake Ontario.
1610. Hudson sails through his strait into his bay.

1615. Lemaire rounds Cape Horn (Hoorn, named after the town

to which his ships belonged).

1616. Baffin discovers his bay.

1642. Tasman discovers Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania) and

Staaten Land (New Zealand).
1699. Dampier discovers his strait.
1768-71. Cook (1st voyage) discovers New Zealand and east coast

of New Holland (Australia).
1770. Bruce discovers the source of the Blue Nile.
1776-79. Cook (3rd voyage) discovers the Sandwich Islands.
1785-88. La Perouse explores N.E. coasts of Asia, the China and

Japan Seas, and discovers Saghalien.

Important Dates xix

1789-93. Mackenzie discovers his river and British Columbia.
1792. Vancouver explores his island.

1796. Mungo Park reaches the Niger.

1797. Bass discovers his strait.

1799-1804. Humboldt explores South America.
1801-4. Flinders surveys the south coast of Australia.
1819-22. Franklin, Back and Richardson attempt the North- West

Passage by land.
1819. Parry discovers Lancaster Sound.
1822. Denham and Clapperton discover Lake Tchad.
1828-31. Sturt traces the Darling and Murray Rivers.
1829-33. Ross attempts the North- West Passage, and discovers

Boothia.
1840-42. Ross explores the Antarctic, and discovers Victoria

Land, and the volcanoes Erebus and Terror (named

after his ships).
1845-47. Franklin's last voyage.
1849-56. Livingstone explores the Zambesi, and discovers the

Victoria Falls.
1850-54. M'Clure succeeds in the North- West Passage.
1858. Burton and Speke discover Lake Tanganyika, and Speke

discovers Victoria Nyanza.
1858-62. Stuart crosses Australia from south to north.
1858-64. Livingstone explores Lake Nyasa.
1864. Baker discovers Albert Nyanza.
1873. Livingstone discovers Lake Moero.
1874-5. Cameron crosses equatorial Africa.
1876-7. Stanley explores the Congo River, and opens up Centra

Africa.
1878-79. Nordenskiold succeeds in the North-East Passage.
1887-89. Stanley's expedition to rescue Emin Pasha. He dis-
covers the Pigmies, and the Ruwenzori (the Mountains

of the Moon).
1893-97. Nansen's voyage across the Arctic Ocean in the Fram.

He reaches farthest north (86° 14').
1909. Peary reaches the North Pole.

1911. Amundsen reaches the South Pole.

1912. Scott reaches the South Pole.

Sir Martin Frobisher

FROBISHER. FIRST VOYAGE (1576)
By George Best

Our General, Captain Frobisher, being persuaded of
a new and nearer passage to Cataya than by Capo
de Buona Speranca, which the Portugals yearly use,
began first with himself to devise, and then with his
friends to confer, and laid a plain plot unto them that
that voyage was not only possible by the north-west,
but also he could prove easy to be performed. And
further, he determined and resolved with himself to go
make full proof thereof, and to accomplish or bring
true certificate of the truth, or else never to return
again, knowing this to be the only thing of the world
that was left yet undone, whereby a notable mind might
be made famous and fortunate. But although his will
were great to perform this notable voyage, whereof he
had conceived in his mind a great hope by sundry sure
reasons and secret intelligence, which here for sundry
causes I leave untouched ; yet he wanted altogether
means and ability to set forward, and perform the
same. Long time he conferred with his private friends
of these secrets, and made also many offers for the
performing of the same in effect unto sundry merchants
of our country, above fifteen years before he attempted
the same, as by good witness shall well appear (albeit
some evil willers, which challenge to themselves the fruits
of other men's labours, have greatly injured him in the

a. p. 1

2 Frobisher. First Voyage

reports of the same, saying that they have been the
first authors of that action, and that they have learned
him the way, which themselves as yet have never gone).
But perceiving that hardly he was hearkened unto of
the merchants, which never regard virtue without sure,
certain, and present gains, he repaired to the Court
(from whence, as from the fountain of our common
wealth, all good causes have their chief increase and
maintenance), and there laid open to many great
estates and learned men the plot and sum of his device.
And amongst many honourable minds which favoured
his honest and commendable enterprise, he was specially
bound and beholding to the Right Honourable Ambrose
Dudley, Earl of Warwick, whose favourable mind and
good disposition hath always been ready to countenance
and advance all honest actions with the authors and
executers of the same. And so by means of my lord
his honourable countenance he received some comfort
of his cause, and by little and little, with no small expense
and pain, brought his cause to some perfection, and
had drawn together so many adventurers and such sums
of money as might well defray a reasonable charge to
furnish himself to sea withal.

He prepared two small barks of twenty and five-and-
twenty ton apiece, wherein he intended to accomplish
his pretended voyage. Wherefore, being furnished with
the foresaid two barks, and one small pinnace of ten ton
burthen, having therein victuals and other necessaries
for twelve months' provision, he departed upon the said
voyage from Black wall, the 15 of June, anno Domini
1576.

One of the barks wherein he went was named
the Gabriel, and the other the Michael ; and sailing

Frobisher. First Voyage

1—2

4 Frobisher. First Voyage

north-west from England upon the 11 of July he had
sight of a high and ragged land, which he judged to
be Frisland (whereof some authors have made mention),
but durst not approach the same by reason of the great
store of ice that lay alongst the coast, and the great mists
that troubled them not a little. Not far from thence
he lost company of his small pinnace, which by means
of the great storm he supposed to be swallowed up of
the sea, wherein he lost only four men.

Also the other bark named the Michael, mistrusting
the matter, conveyed themselves privily away from him,
and returned home, with great report that he was
cast away.

The worthy captain, notwithstanding these dis-
comforts, although his mast was sprung, and his top-
mast blown overboard with extreme foul weather,
continued his course towards the north-west, knowing
that the sea at length must needs have an ending, and
that some land should have a beginning that way ;
and determined, therefore, at the least to bring true proof
what land and sea the same might be so far to the
north-westwards, beyond any man that hath heretofore
discovered. And the 20 of July he had sight of a
high land which he called Queen Elizabeth's Foreland,
after her Majesty's name. And sailing more northerly
alongst that coast, he descried another foreland with
a great gut, bay, or passage, dividing as it were two
main lands or continents asunder. There he met with
store of exceeding great ice all this coast along,
and coveting still to continue his course to the north-
wards, was always by contrary wind detained over-
thwart these straits, and could not get beyond. Within
few days after, he perceived the ice to be well consumed

Frobisher. First Voyage 5

and gone, either there engulfed in by some swift currents
or indrafts, carried more to the southwards of the same
straits, or else conveyed some other way : wherefore
he determined to make proof of this place, to see how
far that gut had continuance, and whether he might
carry himself through the same, into some open sea on
the back side, whereof he conceived no small hope, and
so entered the same, the one and twentieth of July, and
passed above fifty leagues therein, as he reported, having
upon either hand a great main or continent. And that
land upon his right hand as he sailed westward he judged
to be the continent of Asia, and there to be divided
from the firm • of America, which lieth upon the left
hand over against the same.

This place he named after his name, Frobisher' s
Straits, like as Magellanus at the south-west end of the
world, having discovered the passage to the South Sea,
(where America is divided from the continent of that
land, which lieth under the South Pole) and called* the
same straits, Magellan's Straits.

After he had passed 60 leagues into this foresaid
strait, he went ashore, and found signs where fire
had been made.

He saw mighty deer that seemed to be mankind,
which ran at him, and hardly he escaped with his life
in a narrow way, where he was fain to use defence
and policy to save his life.

In this place he saw and perceived sundry tokens
of the peoples resorting thither. And being ashore upon
the top of a hill, he perceived a number of small things
fleeting in the sea afar off, which he supposed to be
porpoises or seals, or some kind of strange fish j but
coming nearer, he discovered them to be men in small

6 Frobisher. First Voyage

boats made of leather. And before he could descend
down from the hill, certain of those people had almost
cut off his boat from him, having stolen secretly behind
the rocks for that purpose, where he speedily hasted
to his boat, and bent himself to his halberd, and
narrowly escaped the danger, and saved his boat.
Afterwards he had sundry conferences with them, and
they came aboard his ship, and brought him salmon
and raw flesh and fish, and greedily devoured the same
before our men's faces. And to shew their agility,
they tried many masteries upon the ropes of the ship,
after our mariners' fashion, and appeared to be very
strong of their arms, and nimble of their bodies. They
exchanged coats of seals' and bears' skins, and such like,
with our men ; and received bells, looking-glasses, and
other toys, in recompense thereof again. After great
courtesy, and many meetings, our mariners, contrary
to their captain's direction, began more easily to trust
them ; and five of our men going ashore were by them
intercepted with their boat, and were never since heard
of to this day again ; so that the captain being destitute
of boat, bark, and all company, had scarcely sufficient
number to conduct back his bark again. He could now
neither convey himself ashore to rescue his men (if he
had been able) for want of a boat ; and again the subtle
traitors were so wary, as they would after that never
come within our men's danger. The captain, notwith-
standing, desirous to bring some token from thence of
his being there, was greatly discontented that he had
not before apprehended some of them ; and therefore,
to deceive the deceivers, he wrought a pretty policy.
For knowing well how they greatly delighted in our toys,
and specially in bells, he rang a pretty lowbell, making

Frobisher. First Voyage 7

signs that he would give him the same that would
come and fetch it. And because they would not come
within his danger for fear, he flung one bell unto them,
which of purpose he threw short, that it might fall into
the sea and be lost. And to make them more greedy
of the matter he rang a louder bell, so that in the end
one of them came near the ship side to receive the
bell. Which when he thought to take at the captain's
hand, he was thereby taken himself ; for the captain,
being readily provided, let the bell fall, and caught the
man fast, and plucked him with main force, boat and all,
into his bark out of the sea. Whereupon, when he found
himself in captivity, for very choler and disdain he
bit his tongue in twain within his mouth : notwith-
standing, he died not thereof, but lived until he came
in England, and then he died of cold which he had taken
at sea.

Now with this new prey (which was a sufficient
witness of the captain's far and tedious travel towards
the unknown parts of the world, as did well appear
by this strange infidel, whose like was never seen, read,
nor heard of before, and whose language was neither
known nor understood of any) the said Captain Fro-
bisher returned homeward, and arrived in England,
in Harwich, the 2 of October following, and thence
came to London 1576, where he was highly com-
mended of all men for his great and notable attempt,
but specially famous for the great hope he brought
of the passage to Cataya.

And it is especially to be remembered that at their
first arrival in those parts there lay so great store of
ice all the coast along, so thick together, that hardly
his boat could pass unto the shore. At length, after

8 Frobisher. First Voyage

divers attempts, he commanded his company, if by any
possible means they could get ashore, to bring him
whatsoever thing they could first find, whether it were
living or dead, stock or stone, in token of Christian
possession, which thereby he took in behalf of the
Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, thinking that thereby
he might justify the having and enjoying of the same
things that grew in these unknown parts.

Some of his company brought flowers, some green
grass ; and one brought a piece of black stone much
like to a sea coal in colour, which by the weight seemed
to be some kind of metal or mineral. This was a thing
of no account in the judgment of the captain at the
first sight ; and yet for novelty it was kept in respect
of the place from whence it came.

After his arrival in London, being demanded of
sundry his friends what thing he had brought them home
out of that country, he had nothing left to present them
withal, but a piece of this black stone. And it fortuned
a gentlewoman, one of the adventurers' wives, to have
a piece thereof, which by chance she threw and burned
in the fire, so long, that at the length being taken forth,
and quenched in a little vinegar, it glistered with a
bright marquesite of gold. Whereupon, the matter
being called in some question, it was brought to certain
goldfiners in London, to make assay thereof, who gave
out that it held gold, and that very richly for the
quantity. Afterwards the same goldfiners promised
great matters thereof, if there were any store to be found,
and offered themselves to adventure for the searching
of those parts from whence the same was brought.
Some that had great hope of the matter sought secretly
to have a lease at Her Majesty's hands of those places,

Frobisher. First Voyage 9

whereby to enjoy the mass of so great a public profit
unto their own private gains.

In conclusion, the hope of more of the same gold ore
to be found kindled a greater opinion in the hearts of
many to advance the voyage again. Whereupon pre-
paration was made for a new voyage against the year
following, and the captain more specially directed by
commission for the searching more of this gold ore than
for the searching any further discovery of the passage.
And being well accompanied with divers resolute and
forward gentlemen, Her Majesty then lying at the Right
Honourable the Lord of Warwick's house in Essex, he
came to take his leave, and kissing Her Highness' hands,
with gracious countenance and comfortable words
departed toward his charge.

FROBISHER. SECOND VOYAGE

By His Lieutenant, George Best

A true report of such things as happened in the
second voyage of Captain Frobisher, pretended for
the discovery of a new passage to Cataya, China,
and the East India, by the north-west. Ann. Dom.
1577.

Being furnished with one tall ship of Her Majesty's,
named the Aid, of 200 ton, and two other small barks,
the one named the Gabriel, the other the Michael,
about 30 ton apiece, being fitly appointed with men,
munition, victuals and all things necessary for the
voyage, the said Captain Frobisher, with the rest of
his company, came aboard his ships riding at Blackwall,
intending (with God's help) to take the first wind and
tide serving him, the 25 day of May, in the year of
our Lord God 1577.

The names of such gentlemen as attempted this
discovery, and the number of soldiers and mariners in
each ship, as followeth.

Aboard the Aid, being Admiral, were the number of
100 men of all sorts, whereof 30 or more were gentlemen
and soldiers, the rest sufficient and tall sailors.

Aboard the Gabriel, being Vice-admiral, were in all
18 persons, whereof six were soldiers, the rest mariners.

Frobisher. Second Voyage

11

Aboard the Michael were 16 persons, whereof five
were soldiers, the rest mariners.

^General of the whole (

, company for her -j Martin Frobisher
Majesty \

Aboard the
Aid was

His Lieutenant
His Ensign
Corporal of the shot

The rest of the
gentlemen

(The Master
Aboard the J The Mate
Aid was 1 The Pilot

[The Master Gunner

Aboard the
Gabriel was

( Captain

] One Gentleman

(The Master

Aboard the (Captain
Michael was < One Gentleman
(The Master

( George Best
1 Richard Philpot
(Francis Forder

'Henry Carew
Edmund Stafford
John Lee
M. Harvie
Mathew Kinersley
Abraham Lins
Robert Kinersley
Francis Brakenbury

^William Armshow

(Christopher Hall
J Charles Jackman
J Andrew Dyer
(Richard Cox

{Edward Fenton
William Tamfield
William Smith

(Gilbert Yorke

j Thomas Chamberlaine

( James Beare

On Whitsunday, being the 26 of May, Anno 1577,
early in the morning, we weighed anchor at Blackwall,
and fell that tide down to Gravesend, where we remained
until Monday at night.

On Monday morning, the 27 of May, aboard the
Aid, we received all the communion by the minister
of Gravesend, and prepared us as good Christians
towards God, and resolute men for all fortunes ; and
towards night we departed to Tilbury Hope.

12 Frobisher. Second Voyage

Tuesday, the 28 of May, about nine of the clock at
night, we arrived at Harwich, in Essex, and there stayed
for the taking in of certain victuals until Friday, being
the 30th of May, during which time came letters from
the Lords of the Council, straightly commanding our
General not to exceed his complement and number
appointed him, which was one hundred and twenty
persons. Whereupon he discharged many proper men,
which with unwilling minds departed.

He also dismissed all his condemned men, which he
thought for some purposes very needful for the voyage,
and towards night upon Friday the one and thirtieth of
May we set sail, and put to the seas again. And sailing
northward alongst the East coasts of England and
Scotland, the 7th day of June we arrived in Saint
Magnus Sound, in Orkney Islands, called in Latin
Orcades, and came to anchor on the south side of the
bay ; and this place is reckoned from Blackwall, where
we set sail first, [cipher] leagues.

Here, our company going on land, the inhabitants of
these islands began to flee as from the enemy. Where-
upon the lieutenant willed every man to stay together,
and went himself unto their houses to declare what
we were and the cause of our coming thither. Which
being understood, after their poor manner they friendly
entreated us, and brought us for our money such things
as they had. And here our goldfiners found a mine of
silver.

Orkney is the principal of the Isles of the Orcades,
and standeth in the latitude of fifty-nine degrees and
a half. The country is much subject to cold, answer-
able for such a climate, and yet yieldeth some fruits,
and sufficient maintenance for the people contented so

Frobisher. Second Voyage 13

poorly to live. There is plenty enough of poultry, store
of eggs, fish, and fowl. For- their bread they have oaten
cakes, and their drink is ewes' milk, and in some parts
ale. Their houses are but poor without and sluttish
enough within, and the people in nature thereunto
agreeable. For their fire they burn heath and turf, the
country in most parts being void of wood. They have
great want of leather, and desire our old shoes, apparel,
and old ropes (before money) for their victuals, and yet
are they not ignorant of the value of our coin. The
chief town is called Kyrway. In this island hath been
sometime an abbey or a religious house, called Saint
Magnus, being on the west side of the isle, whereof this
sound beareth name, through which we passed. Their
governor or chief lord is called the Lord Robert Steward,
who at our being there, as we understood, was in
durance at Edinburgh, by the Regent's commandment
of Scotland.

After we had provided us here of matter sufficient
for our voyage, the 8 of June we set sail again, and
passing through Saint Magnus Sound, having a merry
wind by night, came clear and lost sight of all the land,
and keeping our course west-north-west by the space
of two days, the wind shifted upon us, so that we lay
in traverse on the seas, with contrary winds, making
good (as near as we could) our course to the westward,
and sometime to the northward, as the wind shifted.
And hereabout we met with three sail of English
fishermen from Iceland, bound homeward, by whom
we wrote our letters unto our friends in England.
We traversed these seas by the space of 26 days
without sight of any land, and met with much drift-
wood, and whole bodies of trees. We saw many

14 Frobisher. Second Voyage

monstrous fishes and strange fowls, which seemed to live
only by the sea, being there so far distant from any
land. At length God favoured us with more prosperous
winds, and after we had sailed four days with good
wind in the poop, the 4th of July, the Michael,
being foremost ahead, shot off a piece of ordnance,
and struck all her sails, supposing that they descried
land, which by reason of the thick mists they could
not make perfect. Howbeit, as well our account, as
also the great alteration of the water, which became
more black and smooth, did plainly declare we were
not far off the coast. Our General sent his master
aboard the Michael (who had been with him the year
before) to bear in with the place to make proof thereof ;
who descried not the land perfect, but saw sundry huge
islands of ice, which we deemed to be not past twelve
leagues from the shore, for about ten of the clock at night,
being the fourth of July, the weather being more clear,
we made the land perfect, and knew it to be Frisland.
And the height being taken here, we found ourselves
to be in the latitude of sixty degrees and a half, and
were fallen with the southermost part of this land.
Between Orkney and Frisland are reckoned [cipher]
leagues.

This Frisland sheweth a ragged and high land,
having the mountains almost covered over with snow,
alongst the coast full of drift ice, and seemeth almost
inaccessible ; and is thought to be an island in bigness
not inferior to England, and is called of some authors,
West Frisland, I think because it lieth more west than
any part of Europe. It extendeth in latitude to the
northward very far as seemed to us, and appeareth by
a description set out by two brethren Venetians,

Frobisher. Second Voyage 15

Nicholas and Antonius Zeni, who, being driven off from
Ireland with a violent tempest, made shipwreck here,
and were the first known Christians that discovered this
land, about 200 years sithence ; and they have in their
sea-cards set out every part thereof, and described the
condition of the inhabitants, declaring them to be as
civil and religious people as we. And for so much of
this land as we have sailed alongst, comparing their card
with the coast, we find it very agreeable. This coast
seemeth to have good fishing : for we, lying becalmed,
let fall a hook without any bait, and presently caught
a great fish called a halibut, which served the whole
company for a day's meat, and is dangerous meat for
surfeiting. And sounding about five leagues off from
the shore, our lead brought up in the tallow a kind of
coral, almost white, and small stones as bright as
crystal : and it is not to be doubted but that this land
may be found very rich and beneficial if it were tho-
roughly discovered, although we saw no creature there
but little birds. It is a marvellous thing to behold of
what great bigness and depth some islands of ice be
here, some seventy, some eighty fathom under water,
besides that which is above, seeming islands more than
half a mile in circuit. All these ice are in taste fresh, and
seem to be bred in the sounds thereabouts, or in some
land near the pole, and with the wind and tides are
driven alongst the coasts. We found none of these
islands of ice salt in taste, whereby it appeareth that
they were not congealed of the ocean sea-water, which
is always salt, but of some standing or little-moving
lakes, or great fresh waters near the shore, caused
either by melted snow from tops of mountains, or by
continual access of fresh rivers from the land ; and

16 Frobisher. Second Voyage

intermingling with the sea-water, bearing yet the
dominion, by the force of extreme frost may cause
some part of salt water to freeze so with it, and so seem
a little brackish ; but otherwise the main sea freezeth
not, and therefore there is no Mare Glaciale, or Frozen
Sea, as the opinion hitherto hath been. Our General
proved landing here twice, but by the sudden fall of mists
(whereunto this coast is much subject) he was like to
lose sight of his ships, and being greatly endangered
with the driving ice alongst the coast, was forced aboard,
and fain to surcease his pretence till a better opportunity
might serve. And having spent four days and nights
sailing alongst this land, finding the coast subject to
such bitter cold and continual mists, he determined
to spend no more time therein, but to bear out his
course towards the straits called Frobisher's Straits,
after the General's name, who being the first that ever
passed beyond 58 degrees to the northwards, for any-
thing that hath been yet known of certainty, of New-
foundland, otherwise called the continent or firm land of
America, discovered the said Straits this last year 1576.
Between Frisland and the Straits we had one great
storm, wherein the Michael was somewhat in danger,
having her steerage broken, and her top-masts blown
overboard ; and being not past 50 leagues short of the
Straits by our account, we struck sail and lay ahull,
fearing the continuance of the storm, the wind being
at the north-east, and having lost company of the barks
in that flaw of wind, we happily met again the 17th day
of July, having the evening before seen divers islands
of fleeting ice, which gave an argument that we were
not far from land. Our General, in the morning, from
the maintop (the weather being reasonable clear)

Frobisher. Second Voyage 17

descried land ; but to be better assured he sent the two
barks two contrary courses, whereby they might descry
either the south or north foreland, the Aid lying off
and on at sea, with a small sail, by an island of ice,
which was the mark for us to meet together again.
And about noon, the weather being more clear, we
made the north foreland perfect, which otherwise is
called Hall's Island, and also the small island bearing
the name of the said Hall, whence the ore was taken
up which was brought into England this last year 1576,
the said Hall being present at the finding and taking
up thereof, who was then master in the Gabriel with
Captain Frobisher. At our arrival here, all the seas
about this coast were so covered over with huge
quantity of great ice, that we thought these places
might only deserve the name of Mare Glaciale, and be
called the Icy Sea.

This north foreland is thought to be divided from
the continent of the northerland, by a little sound called
Hall's Sound, which maketh it an island, and is thought
little less than the Isle of Wight, and is the first entrance
of the straits upon the norther side, and standeth in the
latitude of sixty- two degrees and fifty minutes, and is
reckoned from Frisland [cipher] leagues. God having
blessed us with so happy a land-fall, we bare into the
straits, which run in next hand, and somewhat further
up to the northward, and came as near the shore as we
might for the ice; and upon the 18th day of July, our
General, taking the goldfiners with him, attempted to
go on shore with a small rowing pinnace, upon the
small island where the ore was taken up, to prove
whether there were any store thereof to be found,
but he could not get in all that island a piece so big

18 Frobisher. Second Voyage

as a walnut, where the first was found. But our
men, which sought the other islands thereabouts, found
them all to have good store of the ore : whereupon our
General with these good tidings returned aboard about
ten of the clock at night, and was joyfully welcomed
of the company with a volley of shot. He brought
eggs, fowls, and a young seal aboard, which the company
had killed ashore ; and having found upon those islands
gins set to catch fowl, and sticks new cut, with other
things, he well perceived that not long before some of
the country people had resorted thither.

Having therefore found those tokens of the people's
access in those parts, and being in his first voyage
well acquainted with their subtle and cruel disposition,
he provided well for his better safety; and on Friday
the 19th of July, in the morning early, with his best
company of gentlemen and soldiers, to the number of
forty persons, went on shore, as well to discover the in-
land and habitation of the people, as also to find out some
fit harbour for our ships. And passing towards the
shore with no small difficulty by reason of the abun-
dance of ice, which lay alongst the coast so thick
together that hardly any passage through them might
be discovered, we arrived at length upon the main of
Hall's greater island, and found there also, as well as
in the other small islands, good store of the ore. And
leaving his boats here with sufficient guard, we passed
up into the country about two English miles, and
recovered the top of a high hill ; on the top whereof
our men made a column or cross of stones heaped up
of a good height together in good sort, and solemnly
sounded a trumpet, and said certain prayers kneeling
about the ensign, and honoured the place by the name

Frobisher. Second Voyage 19

of Mount Warwick, in remembrance of the Right
Honourable the Lord Ambrose Dudley, Earl of Warwick,
whose noble mind and good countenance in this, as in all
other good actions, gave great encouragement and good
furtherance. This done, we retired our companies, not
seeing anything here worth further discovery, the
country seeming barren and full of ragged mountains,
and in most parts covered with snow.

And thus marching towards our boats, we espied
certain of the country people on the top of Mount
Warwick with a flag wafting us back again and making
great noise, with cries like the mowing of bulls, seeming
greatly desirous of conference with us. Whereupon the
General, being therewith better acquainted, answered
them again with the like cries, whereat, and with the
noise of our trumpets, they seemed greatly to rejoice,
skipping, laughing and dancing for joy. And hereupon
we made signs unto them, holding up two fingers,
commanding two of our men to go apart from our
companies, whereby they might do the like. So that
forthwith two of our men and two of theirs met together
a good space from company, neither party having
their weapons about them. Our men gave them pins
and points and such trifles as they had. And they
likewise bestowed on our men two bow cases and such
things as they had. They earnestly desired our men
to go up into their country, and our men offered them
like kindness aboard our ships, but neither part (as it
seemed) admitted or trusted the other's courtesy.
Their manner of traffic is thus : they do use to lay down
of their merchandise upon the ground, so much as they
mean to part withal, and so looking that the other
party with whom they make trade should do the like,

2—2

20 Frobisher. Second Voyage

they themselves do depart. And then, if they do like
of their mart, they come again, and take in exchange
the other's merchandise : otherwise, if they like not, they
take their own and depart. The day being thus well
near spent, in haste we retired our companies into our
boats again, minding forthwith to search alongst the
coast for some harbour fit for our ships. For the present
necessity thereof was much, considering that all this
while they lay off and on between the two lands, being
continually subject as well to great danger of fleeting
ice, which environed them, as to the sudden flaws which
the coast seemeth much subject unto. But when the
people perceived our departure, with great tokens of
affection they earnestly called us back again, following
us almost to our boats. Whereupon our General, taking
his master with him, who was best acquainted with their
manners, went apart unto two of them, meaning, if they
could lay sure hold upon them, forcibly to bring them
aboard, with intent to bestow certain toys and apparel
upon the one, and so to dismiss him with all arguments
of courtesy, and retain the other for an interpreter.
The General and his master being met with their two
companions together, after they had exchanged certain
things the one with the other, one of the savages, for
lack of better merchandise, cut off the tail of his coat
(which is a chief ornament among them) and gave it
unto our General for a present. But he presently, upon
a watchword given with his master, suddenly laid hold
upon the two savages. But the ground underfoot being
slippery with the snow on the side of the hill, their
handfast failed, and their prey escaping ran away and
lightly recovered their bow and arrows, which they had
hid not far from them behind the rocks. And being

Frobisher. Second Voyage 21

only two savages in sight, they so fiercely, desperately,
and with such fury assaulted and pursued our General
and his master, being altogether unarmed, and not
mistrusting their subtlety, that they chased them to
their boats, and hurt the General in the buttock with an
arrow ; who the rather speedily fled back, because they
suspected a greater number behind the rocks. Our
soldiers (which were commanded before to keep their
boats) perceiving the danger, and hearing our men
calling for shot, came speedily to rescue, thinking there
had been a greater number. But when the savages
heard the shot of one of our calivers (and yet having
first bestowed their arrows) they ran 'away, our men
speedily following them. But a servant of my Lord of
Warwick, called Nicholas Conger, a good footman, and
uncumbered with any furniture, having only a dagger
at his back, overtook one of them, and being a Cornish-
man and a good wrestler, showed his companion such
a Cornish trick, that he made his sides ache against the
ground for a month after. • And so being stayed, he
was taken alive and brought away, but the other
escaped. Thus with their strange and new prey our
men repaired to their boats, and passed from the main
to a small island of a mile compass, where they resolved
to tarry all night \ for even now a sudden storm was
grown so great at sea, that by no means they could
recover their ships. And here every man refreshed
himself with a small portion of victuals, which was laid
into the boats for their dinners, having neither eat nor
drunk all the day before. But because they knew not
how long the storm might last, nor how far off the ships
might be put to sea, nor whether they should ever
recover them again or not, they made great spare of

22 Frobisher. Second Voyage

their victuals, as it greatly behoved them. For they
knew full well that the best cheer the country could
yield them was rocks and stones, a hard food to live
withal, and the people more ready to eat them than
to give them wherewithal to eat. And thus keeping
very good watch and ward, they lay there all night
upon hard cliffs of snow and ice, both wet, cold, and
comfortless.

These things thus happening with the company on
land, the danger of the ships at sea was no less perilous.
For within one hour after the General's departing in
the morning, by negligence of the cook in over-heating,
and the workman in making the chimney, the Aid was
set on fire, and had been the confusion of the whole if,
by chance a boy espying it, it had not been speedily
with great labour and God's help well extinguished.

This day also were divers storms and flaws, and
by nine of the clock at night the storm was grown
so great, and continued such until the morning, that it
put our ships at sea in no small peril. But God being
our best steersman, and by the industry of Charles
Jackman and Andrew Dyer, the master's mates, both
very expert mariners, and Richard Cox, the master
gunner, with other very careful sailors, then within
board, and also by the' help of the clear nights, which
are without darkness, we did happily avoid those pre-
sent dangers. Whereat since we have more marvelled
than in the present danger feared ; for that every man
within board, both better and worse, had enough to
do with his hands to haul ropes, and with his eyes
to look out for danger. But the next morning, being
the 20 of July, as God would, the storm ceased;
and the General, espying the ships, with his new captive

Frobisher. Second Voyage 23

and whole company came happily aboard, and reported
what had passed on shore. Whereupon all together
upon our knees we gave God humble and hearty thanks,
for that it had pleased Him from so speedy peril
to send us such speedy deliverance. And so from this
northern shore we struck over towards the souther-
land.

The one and twentieth of July, we discovered a
bay which ran into the land, that seemed a likely
harbour for our ships. Wherefore our General rowed
thither with his boats, to make proof thereof, and
with his goldfiners to search for ore, having never
assayed anything on the south shore as yet. And
the first small island, which we landed upon, here
all the sands and clifts did so glister and had so bright
a marquesite, that it seemed all to be gold ; but upon
trial made, it proved no better than blacklead, and
verified the proverb : All is not gold that glistereth.

Upon the two and twentieth of July we bare into
the said sound, and came to anchor a reasonable breadth
off the shore. And this was named Jackman's Sound,
after the name of the master's mate, who had first
liking unto the place.

Upon a small island, within this sound, called
Smith's Island (because he first set up his forge there)
was found a mine of silver, but was not won out of
the rocks without great labour. Here our goldfiners
made say of such ore as they found upon the norther-
land, and found four sorts thereof to hold gold in good
quantity. Upon another small island here was also
found a great dead fish, which, as it should seem,
had been embayed with ice, and was in proportion
round like to a porpoise, being about twelve foot long,

24 Frobisher. Second Voyage

and in bigness answerable, having a horn of two yards
long growing out of the snout or nostrils. This horn
is wreathed and straight, like in fashion to a taper
made of wax, and may truly be thought to be the
sea-unicorn. This horn is to be seen and reserved as
a jewel by the Queen's Majesty's commandment,
in her wardrobe of robes.

Tuesday, the three and twentieth of July, our
General with his best company of gentlemen, soldiers
and sailors, to the number of seventy persons in
all, marched with ensign displayed upon the continent
of the southerland (the supposed continent of America).
Where, commanding a trumpet to sound a call for
every man to repair to the ensign, he declared to the
whole company how much the cause imported for
the service of Her Majesty, our country, our credits,
and the safety of our own lives, and therefore required
every man to be conformable to order, and to be
directed by those he should assign. And he appointed
for leaders, Captain Fenton, Captain Yorke, and
his Lieutenant, George Best. Which done, we cast
ourselves into a ring, and all together upon our knees,
gave God humble thanks for that it had pleased
Him of His great goodness to preserve us from such
imminent dangers ; beseeching likewise the assistance
of His Holy Spirit, so to deliver us in safety into our
country, whereby the light and truth of these secrets
being known, it might redound to the more honour
of His Holy Name, and consequently to the advance-
ment of our common wealth. And so, in as good sort
as the place suffered, we marched towards the tops of
the mountains, which were no less painful in climbing
than dangerous in descending, by reason of their

Frobisher. Second Voyage 25

steepness and ice. And having passed about five miles,
by such unwieldy ways, we returned unto our ships
without sight of any people, or likelihood of habitation.
Here divers of the gentlemen desired our General to
suffer them, to the number of twenty or thirty persons,
to march up thirty or forty leagues in the country,
to the end they might discover the inland, and do
some acceptable service for their country. But he,
not contented with the matter he sought for, and
well considering the short time he had in hand, and
the greedy desire our country hath to a present savour
and return of gain, bent his whole endeavour only
to find a mine to freight his ships, and to leave the
rest (by God's help) hereafter to be well accomplished.
And therefore the twenty- six of July he departed
over to the northland, with the two barks, leaving the
Aid riding in Jackman's Sound, and meant (after
he had found convenient harbour, and freight there
for his ships) to discover further for the passage.
The barks came the same night to anchor in a sound
upon the northerland, where the tides did run so
swift, and the place was so subject to indrafts of ice,
that by reason thereof they were greatly endangered ;
and having found a very rich mine, as they supposed,
and got almost twenty ton of ore together, upon the
28 of July the ice came driving into the sound where
the barks rode, in such sort that they were there-
with greatly distressed. And the Gabriel, riding astern
the Michael, had her cable galled asunder in the hawse
with a piece of driving ice, and lost another anchor;
and having but one cable and anchor left, for she
had lost two before, and the ice still driving upon her,
she was (by God's help) well fenced from the danger

26 Frobisher. Second Voyage

of the rest, by one great island of ice, which came
aground hard ahead of her. Which if it had not so
chanced, I think surely she had been cast upon the
rocks with the ice. The Michael moored anchor
upon this great ice, and rode under the lee thereof :
but about, midnight, by the weight of itself, and
the setting of the tides, the ice brake within half the
bark's length, and made unto the company within
board a sudden and fearful noise. The next flood
toward the morning we weighed anchor, and went
further up the straits ; and leaving our ore behind
us which we had digged, for haste, left the place, by the
name of Beare's Sound, after the master's name of
the Michael, and named the island Leicester's Island.
In one of the small islands here we found a tomb,
wherein the bones of a dead man lay together, and
our savage captive being with us, and being demanded
by signs whether his countrymen had not slain this
man and eat his flesh so from the bones, he made
signs to the contrary, and that he was slain with wolves
and wild beasts. Here also was found hid under
stones good store of fish, and sundry other things
of the inhabitants ; as sleds, bridles, kettles of fish
skins, knives of bone, and such other like. And our
savage declared unto us the use of all those things.
And taking in his hand one of those country bridles,
he caught one of our dogs and hampered him handsomely
therein, as we do our horses, and with a whip in his hand,
he taught the dog to draw in a sled as we do horses
in a coach, setting himself thereupon like a guide :
so that we might see they use dogs for that purpose
that we do our horses. And we found since by ex-
perience, that the lesser sort of dogs they feed fat,

Frobisher. Second Voyage 27

and keep them as domestical cattle in their tents
for their eating, and the greater sort serve for the
use of drawing their sleds.

The twenty-ninth of July, about five leagues
from Beare's Sound, we discovered a bay which, being
fenced on each side with small islands lying off the
main, which break the force of the tides, and make
the place free from any indrafts of ice, did prove a
very fit harbour for our ships; where we came to
anchor under a small island, which now together
with the sound is called by the name of that right
honourable and virtuous lady, Anne Countess of
Warwick. And this is the furthest place that this
year we have entered up within the straits, and is
reckoned from the Cape of the Queen's Foreland,
which is the entrance of the straits, not above 30
leagues. Upon this island was found good store of
the ore, which in the washing held gold to our thinking
plainly to be seen : whereupon it was thought best
rather to load here, where there was store and indifferent
good, than to seek further for better, and spend time
with jeopardy. And therefore our General setting
the miners to work, and shewing first a good precedent
of a painful labourer and a good captain in himself,
gave good examples for others to follow him : where-
upon every man, both better and worse, with their
best endeavours willingly laid to their helping hands.
And the next day, being the thirtieth of July, the
Michael was sent over to Jackman's Sound, for the
Aid and the whole company to come thither. Upon
the mainland, over against the Countess's Island,
we discovered and beheld to our great marvel the
poor caves and houses of those country people, which

28 Frobisher. Second Voyage

serve them (as it should seem) for their winter dwellings,
and are made two fathom under ground, in compass
round, like to an oven, being joined fast one by another,
having holes like to a fox or cony bury, to keep
and come together. They under-trenched these places
with gutters, so that the water, falling from the hills
above them, may slide away without their annoyance :
and are seated commonly in the foot of a hill, to
shield them better from the cold winds, having their
door and entrance ever open towards the south. From
the ground upward they build with whales' bones,
for lack of timber, which bending one over another,
are handsomely compacted in the top together, and
are covered over with sealskins, which, instead of
tiles, fence them from the rain. In which house
they have only one room, having the one half of the
floor raised with broad stones a foot higher than the
other, whereon strawing moss, they make their nests
to sleep in. They defile these dens most filthily with
their beastly feeding, and dwell so long in a place
(as we think) until their sluttishness loathing them,
they are forced to seek a sweeter air, and a new seat;
and are (no doubt) a dispersed and wandering nation,
as the Tartarians, and live in hoards and troops,
without any certain abode, as may appear by sundry
circumstances of our experience.

Here our captive being ashore with us, to declare
the use of such things as we saw, stayed himself
alone behind the company, and did set up five small
sticks round in a circle one by another, with one
small bone placed just in the midst of all : which
thing when one of our men perceived, he called us
back to behold the matter, thinking that he had meant

Frobisher. Second Voyage 29

some charm or witchcraft therein. But the best
conjecture we could make thereof was, that he would
thereby his countrymen should understand, that for
our five men which they betrayed the last year (whom
he signified by the five sticks) he was taken and kept
prisoner, which he signified by the bone in the midst.
For afterwards when we shewed him the picture
of his countryman, which the last year was brought
into England (whose counterfeit we had drawn, with
boat and other furniture, both as he was in his own,
and also in English apparel), he was upon the sudden
much amazed thereat; and beholding advisedly the
same with silence a good while, as though he would
strain courtesy whether should begin the speech
(for he thought him no doubt a lively creature) at
length began to question with him, as with his com-
panion ; and finding him dumb and mute, seemed
to suspect him, as one disdainful, and would with
a little help have grown into choler at the matter,
until at last, by feeling arid handling, he found him
but a deceiving picture. And then with great noise
and cries, ceased not wondering, thinking that we
could make men five or die at our pleasure. And
thereupon calling the matter to his remembrance,
he gave us plainly to understand by signs, that
he had knowledge of the taking of our five men the
last year, and confessing the manner of each thing,
numbered the five men upon his five fingers, and pointed
unto a boat in our ship, which was like unto that
wherein our men were betrayed : and when we made
him signs, that they were slain and eaten, he earnestly
denied, and made signs to the contrary.

The last of July the Michael returned with the

30 Frobisher. Second Voyage

Aid to us from the squtherland, and came to anchor
by us in the Countess of Warwick's Sound, and reported
that since we departed from Jackman's Sound there
happened nothing among them there greatly worth
the remembrance, until the thirtieth of July, when
certain of our company being ashore upon a small
island within the said Jackman's Sound, near the
place where the Aid rode, did espy a long boat with
divers of the country people therein, to the number
of eighteen or twenty persons. Whom so soon as our
men perceived, they returned speedily aboard, to
give notice thereof unto our company. They might
perceive these people climbing up to the top of a hill,
where, with a flag, they wafted unto our ship, and
made great outcries and noises, like so many bulls.
Hereupon our men did presently man forth a small
skiff, having not above six or seven persons therein,
which rowed near the place where those people
were, to prove if they could have any conference with
them. But after this small boat was sent a greater,
being well appointed for their rescue, if need required.
As soon as they espied our company coming near
them, they took their boats and hasted away, either for
fear, or else for policy, to draw our men from rescue
further within their danger : wherefore our men
construing that their coming thither was but to seek
advantage, followed speedily after them. But they
rowed so swiftly away that our men could come nothing
near them. Howbeit they failed not of their best
endeavour in rowing, and having chased them above
two miles into the sea, returned into their ships again.

The morning following, being the first of August,
Captain Yorke with the Michael came into Jackman's

Frobisher. Second Voyage 31

Sound, and declared unto the company there, that
the last night past he came to anchor in a certain
bay (which sithence was named Yorke's Sound) about
four leagues distant from Jackman's Sound, being
put to leeward of that place for lack of wind, where
he discovered certain tents of the country people;
where going with his company ashore, he entered
into them, but found the people departed, as it should
seem, for fear of their coming. But amongst sundry
strange things which in these tents they found, there
was raw and new killed flesh of unknown sorts, with
dead carcasses and bones of dogs, and I know not what.
They also beheld (to their greatest marvel) a doublet
of canvas made after the English fashion, a shirt,
a girdle, three shoes for contrary feet, and of unequal
bigness, which they well conjectured to be the apparel
of our five poor countrymen, which were intercepted
the last year by these country people, about fifty
leagues from this place, further within the straits.
Whereupon our men being in good hope that some
of them might be here, and yet living, the captain,
devising for the best, left his mind behind him in writing,
with pen, ink, and paper also, whereby our poor captive
countrymen, if it might come to their hands, might
know their friends' minds, and of their arrival, and
likewise return their answer. And so without taking
anything away in their tents, leaving there also looking-
glasses, points, and other of our toys (the better to
allure them by such friendly means) departed aboard
his bark, with intent to make haste to the Aid,
to give notice unto the company of all such things
as he had there discovered : and so meant to return
to these tents again, hoping that he might by force

32 Frobisher. Second Voyage

or policy entrap or entice the people to some friendly
conference. Which things when he had delivered
to the whole company there, they determined forthwith
to go in hand with the matter. Hereupon Captain
Yorke with the master of the Aid, and his mate (who
the night before had been at the tents, and came
over from the other side in the Michael with him),
being accompanied with the gentlemen and soldiers
to the number of thirty or forty persons, in two small
rowing pinnaces made towards the place, where the
night before they discovered the tents of those people,
and setting Charles Jackman, being the master's
mate, ashore with a convenient number, for that
he could best guide them to the place, they marched
over land, meaning to compass them on the one side,
whilst the captain with his boats might entrap them
on the other side. But landing at last at the place
where the night before they left them, they found
them with their tents removed. Notwithstanding,
our men which marched up into the country, passing
over two or three mountains, by chance espied certain
tents in a valley underneath them near unto a creek
by the seaside; which because it was not the place
where the guide had been the night before, they
judged them to be another company, and besetting
them about, determined to take them if they could.
But they, having quickly descried our company,
launched one great and another small boat, being
about sixteen or eighteen persons, and very narrowly
escaping, put themselves to sea. Whereupon our
soldiers discharged their calivers, and followed them,
thinking the noise thereof being heard to our boats
at sea, our men there would make what speed they

Frobisher. Second Voyage 33

might to that place. And thereupon indeed our
men which were in the boats (crossing upon them
in the mouth of the sound, whereby their passage
was let from getting sea room, wherein it had been
impossible for us to overtake them by rowing,) forced
them to put themselves ashore upon a point of land
within the said sound (which upon the occasion of
the slaughter there, was since named The Bloody
Point). Whereunto our men so speedily followed, that
they had little leisure left them to make any escape.
But so soon as they landed, each of them brake his
oar, thinking by that means to prevent us in carrying
away their boats, for want of oars. And desperately
returning upon our men, resisted them manfully
in their landing, so long as their arrows and darts
lasted ; and after gathering up those arrows which
our men shot at them, yea, and plucking our arrows
out of their bodies, encountered afresh again, and
maintained their cause until both weapons and life
failed them. And when they found they were mortally
wounded, being ignorant what mercy meaneth, with
deadly fury they cast themselves headlong from off
the rocks into the sea, lest perhaps their enemies
should receive glory or prey of their dead carcasses,
for they supposed us belike to be cannibals or eaters
of man's flesh. In this conflict one of our men was
dangerously hurt in the belly with one of their arrows,
and of them were slain five or six, the rest by flight
escaping among the rocks ; saving two women, whereof
the one being old and ugly, our men thought she
had been a devil or some witch, and therefore let her
go. The other, being young and cumbered with a
sucking child at her back, hiding herself behind the

34 Frobisher. Second Voyage

rocks, was espied by one of our men, who supposing
she had been a man, shot through the hair of her head,
and pierced through the child's arm. Whereupon
she cried out; and our surgeon meaning to heal her
child's arm, applied salves thereunto: But she, not
acquainted with such kind of surgery, plucked those
salves away ; and by continual licking with her own
tongue, not much unlike our dogs, healed up the
child's arm. And because the day was well near spent,
our men made haste unto the rest of our company,
which on the other side of the water remained at
the tents; where they found by the apparel, letter,
and other English furniture, that they were the same
company which Captain Yorke discovered the night
before, having removed themselves from the place
where he left them.

And now, considering their sudden flying from our
men, and their desperate manner of fighting, we began
to suspect that we had heard the last news of our
men, which the last year were betrayed of these people.
And considering also their ravenous and bloody
disposition in eating any kind of raw flesh or carrion,
howsoever stinking, it is to be thought that they had
slain and devoured our men : for the doublet which
was found in their tents had many holes therein,
being made with their arrows and darts.

But now the night being at hand, our men, with
their captives and such poor stuff as they found in
their tents, returned towards their ships. When, being
at sea, there arose a sudden flaw of wind, which was
not a little dangerous for their small boats; but, as
God would, they came all safely aboard. And with
these good news they returned (as before mentioned)

Frobisher. Second Voyage 35

into the Countess of Warwick's Sound unto us. And
between Jackman's Sound, from whence they came,
and the Countess of Warwick's Sound, between land
and land, being thought the narrowest place of the
straits, were judged nine leagues over at the least :
and Jackman's Sound, being upon the southerland,
lieth directly almost over against the Countess's
Sound, as is reckoned scarce thirty leagues within
the straits from the Queen's Cape, which is the
entrance of the straits of the southerland. This cape
being named Queen Elizabeth's Cape, standeth in the
latitude of 62 degrees and a half to the northwards
of Newfoundland, and upon the same continent, for
anything that is yet known to the contrary.

Having now got a woman captive for the comfort
of our man, we brought them both together, and every
man with silence desired to behold the manner of
their meeting and entertainment, the which was
more worth the beholding than can be well expressed
by writing. At their first encountering they beheld
each the other very wistly a good space, without speech
or word uttered, with great change of colour and
countenance, as though it seemed the grief and disdain
of their captivity had taken away the use of their
tongues and utterance. The woman at the first very
suddenly, as though she disdained or regarded not
the man, turned away and began to sing, as though
she minded another matter : but being again brought
together, the man brake up- the silence first, and with
stern and staid countenance, began to tell a long
solemn tale to the woman. Whereunto she gave good
hearing, and interrupted him nothing, till he had
finished; and afterwards, being grown into more

3—2

36 Frobisher. Second Voyage

familiar acquaintance by speech, they were turned
together, so that (I think) the one would hardly have
lived without the comfort of the other.

On Monday, the sixth of August, the lieutenant
with all the soldiers, for the better guard of the miners
and the other things ashore, pitched their tents in
the Countess's Island, and fortified the place for their
better defence as well as they could, and were to the
number of forty persons, when, being all at labour,
they might perceive upon the top of a hill over against
them a number of the country people wafting with
a flag, and making great outcries unto them, and were
of the same company which had encountered lately
our men upon the other shore, being come to complain
their late losses, and to entreat (as it seemed) for
restitution of the woman and child, which our men
in the late conflict had taken and brought away.
Whereupon the General, taking the savage captive
with him, and setting the woman where they might
best perceive her, in the highest place of the island,
went over to talk with them. This captive, at his
first encounter of his friends, fell so out into tears
that he could not speak a word in a great space; but
after a while, overcoming his kindness, he talked
at full with his companions, and bestowed friendly
upon them such toys and trifles as we had given him :
whereby we noted, that they are very kind one to
another, and greatly sorrowful for the loss of their
friends. Our General, by signs, required his five men
which they took captive the last year, and promised
them, not only to release those which he had taken,
but also to reward them with great gifts and friendship.
Our savage made signs in answer from them that

Frobisher. Second Voyage 37

our men should be delivered us, and were yet living,
and made signs likewise unto us that we should write
our letters unto them. For they knew very well the
use we have of writing, and received knowledge thereof,
either of our poor captive countrymen which they
betrayed, or else by this our new captive, who hath
seen us daily write and repeat again such words
of his language as we desired to learn. But they
for this night, because it was late, departed without
any letter, although they called earnestly in haste
for the same. And the next morning early, being
the seventh of August, they called again for the letter ;
which being delivered unto them, they speedily departed,
making signs with three fingers, and pointing to the
sun, that they meant to return within three days;
until which time we heard no more of them j and about
the time appointed they returned, in such sort as you
shall afterwards hear.

This night, because the people were very near
unto us, the lieutenant caused the trumpet to sound
a call, and every man in the island repairing to the
ensign, he put them in mind of the place, so far from
their country wherein they lived, and the danger
of a great multitude, which they were subject unto,
if good watch and ward were not kept. For at every
low water the enemy might come almost dryfoot
from the main unto us; wherefore he willed every
man to prepare him in good readiness upon all sudden
occasions. And so, giving the watch their charge, the
company departed to rest.

I thought the captain's letter well worth the
remembering, not for the circumstance of curious indit-
ing, but for the substance and good meaning therein

38 Frobisher. Second Voyage

contained, and therefore have repeated here the same,
as by himself it was hastily written.

The form of Master Martin Frobisher's letter to the
English captives.

' In the name of God, in whom we all believe,
who (I trust) hath preserved your bodies and souls
among these infidels, I commend me unto you. I
will be glad to seek by all means you can devise for
your deliverance, either with force, or with any com-
modities within my ships, which I will not spare for
your sakes, or anything else I can do for you. I
have aboard, of theirs, a man, a woman, and a child,
which I am contented to deliver for you, but the man
which I carried away from hence the last year is dead
in England. Moreover, you may declare unto them,
that if they deliver you not, I will not leave a man
alive in their country. And thus, if one of you can
come to speak with me, they shall have either the
man, woman, or child in pawn for you. And thus
unto God, whom I trust you do serve, in haste I leave
you, and to Him we will daily pray for you. This
Tuesday morning, the seventh of August, Anno 1577.

Yours to the uttermost of my power

Martin Frobisher.

I have sent you by these bearers, pen, ink, and
paper, to write back unto me again, if personally
you cannot come to certify me of your estate.'

Now had the General altered his determination
for going any further into the straits at this time,

Frobisher. Second Voyage 39

for any further discovery of the passage, having taken
a man and a woman of that country, which he thought
sufficient for the use of language; and having also
met with these people here, which intercepted his
men the last year, (as the apparel and English furniture,
which was found in their tents, very well declared)
he knew it was but a labour lost to seek them further
off, when he had found them there at hand. And
considering also the short time he had in hand, he
thought it best to bend his whole endeavour for the
getting of mine, and to leave the passage further to be
discovered hereafter. For his commission directed him
in this voyage, only for the searching of the ore, and
to defer the further discovery of the passage until
another time.

On Thursday, the ninth of August, we began to make
a small fort for our defence in the Countess's Island,
and entrenched a corner of a cliff, which on three
parts, like a wall of good height, was compassed and
well fenced with the sea.

Saturday, the eleventh of August, the people shewed
themselves again, and called unto us from the side
of a hill over against us. The General (with good
hope to hear of his men, and to have answer of his
letter) went over unto them, where they presented
themselves not above three in sight, but were hidden
indeed in greater numbers behind the rocks ; and making
signs of delay with us, to entrap some of us to redeem
their own, did only seek advantage to train our boat
about a point of land from sight of our company.
Whereupon our men, justly suspecting them, kept
aloof without their danger, and yet set one of our
company ashore, which took up a great bladder which

40 Frobisher. Second Voyage

one of them offered us, and leaving a looking-glass
in the place, came into the boat again. In the mean-
while, our men which stood in the Countess's Island
to behold, who might better discern them, than those
of the boat, by reason they were on higher ground,
made a great outcry unto our men in the boat, for
that they saw divers of the savages creeping behind
the rocks towards our men ; whereupon the General
presently returned without tidings of his men.

Concerning this bladder which we received, our
captive made signs that it was given him to keep
water and drink in ; but we suspected rather it was
given him to swim and shift away withal, for he and
the woman sought divers times to escape, having
loosed our boats from astern our ships, and we never
a boat left to pursue them withal, and had prevailed
very far, had they not been very timely espied and
prevented therein.

After our General's coming away from them they
mustered themselves in our sight, upon the top of
a hill, to the number of twenty in a rank, all holding
hands over their heads, and dancing with great noise
and songs together. We supposed they made this
dance and shew for us to understand, that we might
take view of their whole companies and force, meaning
belike that we should do the same. And thus they
continued upon the hill tops until night, when hearing
a piece of our great ordnance, which thundered in the
hollowness of the high hills, it made unto them so
fearful a noise, that they had no great will to tarry
long after. And this was done more to make them
know our force than to do them any hurt at all.

On Sunday, the 12 of August, Captain Fen ton

Frobisher. Second Voyage 41

trained the company, and made the soldiers maintain
skirmish among themselves, as well for their exercise,
as for the country people to behold in what readiness
our men were always to be found; for it was to be
thought, that they lay hid in the hills thereabout,
and observed all the manner of our proceedings.

On Wednesday, the fourteenth of August, our
General with two small boats well appointed, for
that he suspected the country people to lie lurking
thereabout, went up a certain bay within the Countess's
Sound, to search for ore, and met again with the country
people ; who so soon as they saw our men made great
outcries, and with a white flag made of bladders
sewed together with the guts and sinews of beasts,
wafted us amain unto them, but shewed not above
three of their company. But when we came near
them, we might perceive a great multitude creeping
behind the rocks, which gave us good cause to suspect
their traitorous meaning : whereupon we made them
signs, that if they would lay their weapons aside,
and come forth, we would deal friendly with them,
although their intent was manifested unto us. But
for all the signs of friendship we could make them,
they came still creeping towards us behind the rocks
to get more advantage of us, as though we had no eyes
to see them, thinking belike that our single wits could
not discover so bare devices and simple drifts of theirs.
Their spokesman earnestly persuaded us with many
enticing shews, to come eat and sleep ashore, with
great arguments of courtesy ; and clapping his bare
hands over his head in token of peace and innocency,
willed us to do the like. But the better to allure our
hungry stomachs, he brought us a trim bait of raw

42 Frobisher. Second Voyage

flesh, which for fashion sake with a boat-hook we
caught into our boat : but when the cunning cater
perceived his first cold morsel could nothing sharpen
our stomachs, he cast about for a new train of warm
flesh to procure our appetites. Wherefore he caused
one of his fellows, in halting manner, to come forth
as a lame man from behind the rocks ; and the better
to declare his kindness in carving, he hoised him upon
his shoulders, and bringing him hard to the water
side where we were, left him there limping as an easy
prey to be taken of us. His hope wras that we would
bite at this bait, and speedily leap ashore within
their danger ; whereby they might have apprehended
some of us, to ransom their friends home again, which
before we had taken. The gentlemen and soldiers had
great will to encounter them ashore, but the General
more careful by process of time to win them, than
wilfully at the first to spoil them, would in no wise
admit that any man should put himself in hazard
ashore, considering the matter he now intended was
for the ore, and not for the conquest. Notwithstanding,
to prove this cripple's footmanship, he gave liberty
for one to shoot. Whereupon the cripple, having a
parting blow, lightly recovered a rock, and went away
a true and no feigned cripple, and hath learned his
lesson, for ever halting afore such cripples again. But
his fellows which lay hid before, full quickly then
appeared in their likeness, and maintained the skirmish
with their slings, bows and arrows very fiercely,
and came as near as the water suffered them : and
with as desperate mind as hath been seen in any men,
without fear of shot or anything, followed us all along
the coast ; but all their shot fell short of us, and are

Frobisher. Second Voyage 43

of little danger. They had belayed all the coast
along for us, and being dispersed so, were not well
to be numbered, but we might discern of them above
an hundred persons, and had cause to suspect a greater
number. And thus without loss or hurt we returned
to our ships again.

Now our work growing to an end, and having,
only with five poor miners, and the help of a few gentle-
men and soldiers, brought aboard almost two hundred
ton of ore in the space of twenty days, every man
therewithal well comforted, determined lustily to
work afresh for a boon voyage, to bring our labour
to a speedy and happy end.

And upon Wednesday at night, being the one and
twentieth of August, we fully finished the whole
work. And it was now good time to leave, for as the
men were well wearied, so their shoes and clothes
were well worn, their baskets' bottoms torn out, their
tools broken, and the ships reasonably well filled.
Some with over-straining themselves received hurts
not a little dangerous. And about this time the ice
began to congeal and freeze about our ships' sides
a-night, which gave us a good argument of the sun's
declining southward, and put us in mind to make more
haste homeward.

Thursday, the 22 of August, we plucked down our
tents and every man hasted homeward, and making
bonfires upon the top of the highest mount of the
island, and marching with ensign displayed round
about the island, we gave a volley of shot for a farewell,
in honour of the Right Honourable Lady Anne, Countess
of Warwick, whose name it beareth : and so departed
aboard.

44 Frobisher. Second Voyage

The 23 of August, having the wind large at west,
we set sail from out of the Countess's Sound homeward ;
but the wind calming we came to anchor within the
point of the same sound again.

The 24 of August about three of the clock in the
morning, having the wind large at west, we set sail
again, and by nine of the clock at night we left the
Queen's Foreland astern of us, and being clear of the
straits, we bare further into the main ocean, keeping
our course more southerly, to bring ourselves the
sooner under the latitude of our own climate. The
wind was very great at sea, so that we lay a-hull all
night, and had snow half a foot deep on the hatches.

From the 24 until the 28 we had very much
wind, but large, keeping our course south-south-east,
and had like to have lost the barks, but by good hap
we met again. The height being taken, we were
in [cipher] degrees and a half.

The 29 of August the wind blew much at north-
east, so that we could bear but only a bunt of our
foresail, and the barks were not able to carry any sail
at all. The Michael lost company of us, and shaped
her course towards Orkney, because that way was better
known unto them, and arrived at Yarmouth.

The 30 of August, with the force of the wind,
and a surge of the sea, the master of the Gabriel and
the boatswain were stricken both overboard, and
hardly was the boatswain recovered, having hold
on a rope hanging overboard in the sea ; and yet the
bark was laced fore and after with ropes a breast high
within board. This master was called William Smith,
being but a young man and a very sufficient mariner.
Who being all the morning before exceeding pleasant,

Frobisher, Second Voyage 45

told his captain he dreamed that he was cast overboard,
and that the boatswain had him by the hand, and
could not save him. And so, immediately upon the
end of his tale, his dream came right evilly to pass :
and indeed the boatswain in like sort held him by one
hand, having hold on a rope with the other, until
his force failed, and the master drowned. The height
being taken we found ourselves to be in the latitude
of [cipher] degrees and a half, and reckoned ourselves
from the Queen's Cape homeward about two hundred
leagues.

The last of August, about midnight, we had two
or three great and sudden flaws or storms.

The first of September the storm was grown very
great, and continued almost the whole day and night,
and lying a-hull to tarry for the barks our ship was
much beaten with the seas, every sea almost over-
taking our poop, so that we were constrained with
a bunt of our sail to try it out, and ease the rolling
of our ship. And so the Gabriel not able to bear
any sail to keep company with us, and our ship being
higher in the poop, and a tall ship, whereon the wind
had more force to drive, went so fast away that we
lost sight of them, and left them to God and their
good fortune of sea. The second day of September
in the morning, it pleased God of his goodness to send
us a calm, whereby we perceived the rudder of our
ship torn in twain, and almost ready to fall away.
Wherefore, taking the benefit of the time, we flung
half-a-dozen couple of our best men overboard, who
taking great pains under water, driving planks, and
binding with ropes, did well strengthen and mend
the matter who returned the most part more than

46 Frobisher. Second Voyage

half-dead out of the water, and as God's pleasure
was, the sea was calm until the work was finished.

The seventeenth of September we sounded, and had
forty fathom, and were not far off the Land's-End,
finding branded sand with small worms and cockle-
shells, and were shot between Scilly and the Land's-End ;
and being within the bay, we were not able to double
the point with a south- and-by-east way, but were
fain to make another board, the wind being at south-
west and by west, and yet could not double the point
to come clear of the Land's-End, to bear atong the
Channel : and the weather cleared up when we were
hard aboard the shore, and we made the Land's-End
perfect, and so put up along Saint George's Channel.
And the weather being very foul at sea, we coveted
some harbour, because our steerage was broken,
and so came to anchor in Padstow Road, in Cornwall.
But riding there a very dangerous road, we were
advised by the country to put to sea again, and of the
two evils, to choose the less, for there was nothing
but present peril where we rode. Whereupon we plied
along the Channel to get to Lundy, from whence we
were again driven, being but an open road, where
our anchor came home ; and with force of weather
put to seas again, and about the three and twentieth of
September arrived at Milford Haven, in Wales, which
being a very good harbour, made us happy men, that
we had received such long-desired safety.

About one month after our arrival here, by order
from the Lords of the Council, the ship came up to
Bristow, where the ore was committed to keeping
in the castle there. Here we found the Gabriel, one
of the barks, arrived in good safety, who having

Frobisher. Second Voyage 47

never a man within board very sufficient to bring
home the ship, after the master was lost, by good
fortune, when she came upon the coast, met with a
ship of Bristow at sea, who conducted her in safety
thither.

Here we heard good tidings also of the arrival of
the other bark called the Michael, in the north parts,
which was not a little joyful unto us, that it pleased
God so to bring us to a safe meeting again; and we
lost in all the voyage only one man, besides one that
died at sea, which was sick before he came aboard,
and was so desirous to follow this enterprise that
he rather chose to die therein than not to be one
to attempt so notable a voyage.

DAVIS. FIRST VOYAGE

The first voyage of Master John Davis, undertaken
in June 1585, for the discovery of the North-west
passage. Written by Master John Jane, merchant,
sometime servant to the worshipful Master William
Sanderson.

Certain honourable personages and worthy gentle-
men of the court and country, with divers worshipful
merchants of London and of the west country, moved
with desire to advance God's glory and to seek the
good of their native country, consulting together
of the likelihood of the discovery of the North-west
passage, which heretofore had been attempted, but
unhappily given over by accidents unlooked for,
which turned the enterprisers from their principal
purpose, resolved after good deliberation, to put down
their adventures to provide for necessary shipping,
and a fit man to be chief conductor of this so hard
an enterprise. The setting forth of this action was
committed by the adventurers especially to the care
of Master William Sanderson, merchant of London,
who was so forward therein, that besides his travail,
which was not small, he became the greatest adventurer
with his purse ; and commended unto the rest of the
company one Master John Davis, a man very well
grounded in the principles of the art of navigation for
captain and chief pilot of this exploit.

Davis. First Voyage 49

Thus therefore all things being put in a readiness,
we departed from Dartmouth the seventh of June,
towards the discovery of the aforesaid north-west
passage, with two barks, the one being of 50 tons,
named the Sunshine of London, and the other being
35 tons, named the Moonshine of Dartmouth. In
the Sunshine we had 23 persons, whose names are
these following : Master John Davis, captain, William
Eston, master, Richard Pope, master's mate, John
Jane, merchant, Henry Davy, gunner, William Crosse,
boatswain, John Bagge, Walter Arthur, Luke Adams,
Robert Coxworthy, John Ellis, John Kelley, Edward
Helman, William Dicke, Andrew Maddocke, Thomas
Hill, Robert Watts, carpenter, William Russell, Christo-
pher Gorney, boy : James Cole, Francis Ridley, John
Russell, Robert Cornish, musicians.

The Moonshine had 19 persons: William Bruton,
captain, John Ellis, master, the rest, mariners.

The first of July we saw a great store of porpoises.
The master called for an harping iron, and shot twice
or thrice : sometimes he missed, and at last shot
one and struck him in the side, and wound him into
the ship. When we had him aboard, the master said
it was a darlyhead.

The 2 we had some of the fish sodden, and it did
eat as sweet as any mutton.

The 3 we had more in sight, and the master
went to shoot at them, but they were so great that
they burst our irons, and we lost both fish, irons,
pastime, and all. Yet nevertheless the master shot
at them with a pike, and had well nigh gotten one,
but he was so strong that he burst off the bars of the
pike and went away. Then he took the boat-hook and

a. p. 4

50 Davis. First Voyage

hit one with that, but all would not prevail, so at
length we let them alone.

The 6 we saw a very great whale, and every day
we saw whales continually.

The 16, 17, and 18, we saw great store of
whales.

The 19 of July we fell into a great whirling
and brustling of a tide, setting to the northwards ;
and sailing about half a league, we came into a very
calm sea, which bent to the south-south-west. Here
we heard a mighty great roaring of the sea. as if it
had been the breach of some shore, the air being so
foggy and full of thick mist, that we could not see
the one ship from the other, being a very small distance
asunder. So the captain and the master, being in
distrust how the tide might set them, caused the
Moonshine to hoise out her boat and to sound ; but
they could not find ground in 300 fathoms and better.
Then the captain, master, and I went towards the
breach to see what it should be, giving charge to our
gunners that at every glass they should shoot off
a musket-shot, to the intent we might keep ourselves
from losing them. Then, coming near to the breach,
we met many islands of ice floating, which had quickly
compassed us about. Then we went upon some of
them, and did perceive that all the roaring which
we heard, was caused only by the rolling of this ice
together. Our company, seeing us not to return accord-
ing to our appointment, left off shooting muskets
and began to shoot falconets; for they feared some
mishap had befallen us. But before night we came
aboard again with our boat laden with ice, which
made very good fresh water. Then we bent our

Davis. First Voyage 51

course toward the north, hoping by that means to
double the land.

The 20, as we sailed along the coast, the fog
broke up, and we discovered the land, which was
the most deformed, rocky, and mountainous land
that ever we saw. The first sight whereof did shew
as if it had been in form of a sugar-loaf, standing to
our sight above the clouds ; for that it did shew over
the fog like a white fist in the sky, the tops altogether
covered with snow, and the shore beset with ice a
league off into the sea, making such irksome noise,
as that it seemed to be the true pattern of desolation ;
and after the same our captain named it, The Land of
Desolation.

Upon Thursday, being the 22 of this month,
about three of the clock in the morning, we hoised
out our boat, and the captain with six sailors went
towards the shore, thinking to find a landing place ;
for the night before we did perceive the coast to be
void of ice to our judgment, and the same night we
were all persuaded that we had seen a canoa rowing
along the shore ; but afterwards we fell in some doubt
of it, but we had no great reason so to do. The captain
rowing towards the shore, willed the master to bear
in with the land after him, and before he came near
the shore by the space of a league, or about two miles,
he found so much ice that he could not get to land
by any means. Here our mariners put to their lines
to see if they could get any fish, because there were
so many seals upon the coast, and the birds did beat
upon the water ; but all was in vain. The water about
this place was very black and thick, like to a filthy
standing pool. We sounded and had ground in 120

4—2

52 Davis. First Voyage

fathoms. While the captain was rowing to the shore,
our men saw woods upon the rocks, like to the rocks
of Newfoundland ; but I could not discern them. Yet
it might be so very well : for we had wood floating
upon the coast every day, and the Moonshine took
up a tree at sea, not far from the coast, being sixty
foot of length and fourteen handfuls about, having
the root upon it. After this the captain came aboard,
the weather being very calm and fair we bent our
course toward the south, with intent to double the
land.

The 23 we coasted the land, which did lie
east-north-east and west-south-west.

The 24, the wind being very fair at east, we
coasted the land, which did lie east and west, not
being able to come near the shore by reason of the
great quantity of ice. At this place, because the
weather was somewhat cold by reason of the ice,
and the better to encourage our men, their allowance
was increased. The captain and the master took order
that every mess, being five persons, should have
half a pound of bread and a can of beer every morning
to breakfast. The weather was not very cold, but
the air was moderate like to our April weather in
England. When the wind came from the land, or the
ice, it was somewhat cold ; but when it came off the
sea, it was very hot.

The 25 of this month we departed from sight of
this land at six of the clock in the morning, directing
our course to the north-westward, hoping in God's
mercy to find our desired passage ; and so continued
above four days.

The 29 of July we discovered land in 64 degrees

Davis. First Voyage 53

15 minutes of latitude, bearing north-east from us.
The wind being contrary to go to the north-westwards ,
we bare in with this land to take some view of it,
being utterly void of the pester of ice and very temperate.
Coming near the coast, we found many fair sounds and
good roads for shipping, and many great inlets into
the land, whereby we judged this land to be a great
number of islands standing together. Here having
moored our bark in good order, we went on shore
upon a small island to seek for water and wood. Upon
this island we did perceive that there had been people :
for we found a small shoe and pieces of leather sewed
with sinews, and a piece of fur, and wool like to beaver.
Then we went upon another island on the other side
of our ships ; and the captain, the master, and I, being
got up to the top of an high rock, the people of the
country having espied us, made a lamentable noise,
as we thought, with great outcries and screechings.
We, hearing them, thought it had been the howling
of wolves. At last I halloaed again, and they likewise
cried. Then, we perceiving where they stood, some
on the shore, and one rowing in a canoa about a small
island fast by them, we made a great noise, partly
to allure them to us, and partly to warn our company
of them. Whereupon Master Bruton and the master
of his ship, with others of their company, made great
haste towards us, and brought our musicians with
them from our ship, purposing either by force to rescue
us, if need should so require, or with courtesy to allure
the people. When they came unto us, we caused our
musicians to play, ourselves dancing, and making
many signs of friendship. At length there came
ten canoas. from the other islands, and two of them

54 Davis. First Voyage

came so near the shore where we were, that they
talked with us, the others being in their boats a
pretty way off. Their pronunciation was very hollow
through the throat, and their speech such as we could
not understand : only we allured them by friendly
embracings and signs of courtesy. At length one of
them, pointing up to the sun with his hand, would
presently strike his breast so hard that we might
hear the blow. This he did many times before he
would any way trust us. Then John Ellis, the master
of the Moonshine, was appointed to use his best policy
to gain their friendship ; who struck his breast, and
pointed to the sun after their order. Which when
he had divers times done, they began to trust him,
and one of them came on shore, to whom we threw
our caps, stockings, and gloves, and such other things
as then we had about us, playing with our music,
and making signs of joy, and dancing. So the night
coming, we bade them farewell, and went aboard our
barks.

The next morning, being the 30 of July, there came
thirty-seven canoas rowing by our ships, calling to us
to come on shore. We not making any great haste
unto them, one of them went up to the top of the
rock, and leapt and danced as they had done the day
before, shewing us a seal's skin, and another thing
made like a timbrel, which he did beat upon with
a stick, making a noise like a small drum. Whereupon
we manned our boats and came to them, they all
staying in their canoas : we came to the water side
where they were, and after we had sworn by the sun
after their fashion, they did trust us. So I shook
hands with one of them, and he kissed my hand,

Davis. First Voyage 55

and we were very familiar with them. We were
in so great credit with them upon this single acquaint-
ance, that we could have anything they had. We
bought five canoas of them : we bought their clothes
from their backs, which were all made of seals' skins
and birds' skins ; their buskins, their hose, their gloves,
all being commonly sewed and well dressed : so that
we were fully persuaded that they have divers artificers
among them. We had a pair of buskins of them full
of fine wool like beaver. Their apparel for heat was
made of birds' skins with their feathers on them.
We saw among them leather dressed like glover's
leather, and thick thongs like white leather of a good
length. We had of their darts and oars, and found
in them that they would by no means displease us,
but would give us whatsoever we asked of them,
and would be satisfied with whatsoever we gave them.
They took great care one of another : for when we
had bought their boats, then two other would come
and carry him away between them that had sold us
his. They are very tractable people, void of craft
or double dealing, and easy to be brought to any
civility or good order : but we judge them to be
idolaters and to worship the sun.

During the time of our abode among these islands
we found reasonable quantity of wood, both fir, spruce,
and juniper ; which, whether it came floating any
great distance to these places where we found it,
or whether it grew in some great islands near the
same place by us not yet discovered, we know not ;
but we judge that it groweth there further into the
land than we were, because the people had great store
of darts and oars which they made none account of,

56 Davis. First Voyage

but gave them to us for small trifles, as points and pieces
of paper. We saw about this coast marvellous great
abundance of seals sculling together like sculls of small
fish. We found no fresh water among these islands,
but only snow-water, whereof we found great pools.
The cliffs were all of such ore as Master Frobisher
brought from Meta Incognita. We had divers shows
of study, or Muscovy glass, shining not altogether
unlike to crystal. We found an herb growing upon
the rocks, whose fruit was sweet, full of red juice,
and the ripe ones were like corinths. We found also
birch and willow growing like shrubs low to the ground.
These people have great store of furs, as we judge.
They made shows unto us the 30 of this present
(which was the second time of our being with them),
after they perceived we would have skins and furs,
that they would go into the country and come again
the next day with such things as they had. But this
night the wind coming fair, the captain and the master
would by no means detract the purpose of our discovery.
And so the last of this month about four of the clock
in the morning in God's Name we set sail, and were
all that day becalmed upon the coast.

The first of August we had a fair wind, and so pro-
ceeded towards the north-west for our discovery.

The sixth of August we discovered land in 66
degrees 40 minutes of latitude, altogether void from
the pester of ice : we anchored in a very fair road under
a brave mount, the cliffs whereof were as orient as
gold. This mount was named Mount Raleigh. The
road where our ships lay at anchor was called Totnes
Road. The sound which did compass the mount
was named Exeter Sound. The foreland towards the

Davis. First Voyage 57

north was called Dyer's Cape. The foreland towards
the south was named Cape Walsingham. So soon
as we were come to an anchor in Totnes Road under
Mount Raleigh, we espied four white bears at the
foot of the mount. We supposing them to be goats
or wolves, manned our boats and went towards them ;
but when we came near the shore, we found them to
be white bears of a monstrous bigness. We being
desirous of fresh victuals and the sport, began to
assault them, and I being on land, one of them came
down the hill right against me. My piece was charged
with hailshot and a bullet : I discharged my piece
and shot him in the neck ; he roared a little, and took
the water straight, making small account of his hurt.
Then we followed him with our boat, and killed him
with boar-spears, and two more that night.

The 7 we. went on shore to another bear which
lay all night upon the top of an island under Mount
Raleigh, and when we came up to him he lay fast
asleep. I levelled at his head, and the stone of my
piece gave no fire : with that he looked up, and laid
down his head again. Then I shot, being charged
with two bullets, and struck him in the head: he
being but amazed fell backwards. Whereupon we
ran all upon him with boar-spears, and thrust him
in the body : yet for all that he gript away our boar-
spears, and went towards the water; and as he was
going down, he came back again. Then our master
shot his boar-spear, and struck him in the head,
and made him to take the water, and swim into a
cove fast by, where we killed him, and brought him
aboard. The breadth of his forefoot from one side
to the other was fourteen inches over. They were

58 Davis. First Voyage

very fat, so as we were constrained to cast the fat
away. We saw a raven upon Mount Raleigh. We
found withies also growing like low shrubs, and flowers
like primroses in the said place. The coast is very
mountainous, altogether without wood, grass, or earth,
and is only huge mountains of stone ; but the bravest
stone that ever we saw. The air was very moderate
in this country.

The 8 we departed irom Mount Raleigh, coasting
along the shore, which lieth south-south-west, and
east-north-east.

The 9 our men fell in dislike of their allowance,
because it was too small as they thought. Whereupon
we made a new proportion : every mess, being five
to a mess, should have four pound of bread a day,
twelve wine quarts of beer, six Newland fishes j and
the flesh days a gill of pease more. So we restrained
them from their butter and cheese.

The 11 we came to the most southerly cape
of this land, which we named The Cape of God's
Mercy, as being the place of our first entrance for
the discovery. The weather being very foggy we
coasted this north land. At length when it brake
up, we perceived that we were shot into a very fair
entrance or passage, being in some places twenty
leagues broad, and in some thirty, altogether void
of any pester of ice, the weather very tolerable, and
the water of the very colour, nature, and quality of
the main ocean, which gave us the greater hope of
our passage. Having sailed north-west sixty leagues
in this entrance, we discovered certain islands standing
in the midst thereof, having open passage on both
sides. Whereupon our ships divided themselves, the

Davis. First Voyage 59

one sailing on the north side, the other on the south
side of the said isles, where we stayed five days, having
the wind at south-east, very foggy and foul weather.

The 14 we went on shore and found signs of people,
for we found stones laid up together like a wall, and
saw the skull of a man or a woman.

The 15 we heard dogs howl on the shore, which
we thought had been wolves, and therefore we went
on shore to kill them. When we came on land the
dogs came presently to our boat very gently, yet we
thought they came to prey upon us, and therefore we
shot at them, and killed two : and about the neck of
one of them we found a leather collar, whereupon we
thought them to be tame dogs. Then we went farther,
and found two sleds made like ours in England : the
one was made of fir, spruce, and oaken boards sawn
like inch boards : the other was made all of whale-
bone, and there hung on the tops of the sleds three
heads of beasts which they had killed. We saw here
larks, ravens, and partridges.

The 17 we went on shore, and in a little thing made
like an oven with stones I found many small trifles, as
a small canoa made of wood, a piece of wood made
like an image, a bird made of bone, beads having
small holes in one end of them to hang about their
necks, and other small things. The coast was very
barren' without wood or grass : the rocks were very
fair like marble, full of veins of divers colours. We
found a seal which was killed not long before, being
flean, and hid under stones.

Our captain and master searched still for probabilities
of the passage ; and first, found that this place was
all islands, with great sounds passing between them.

60 Davis. First Voyage

Secondly, the water remained of one colour with
the main ocean without altering.

Thirdly, we saw to the west of those isles three
or four whales in a scull, which they judged to come
from a westerly sea, because to the eastward we
saw not any whale.

Also, as we were rowing into a very great sound
lying south-west, from whence these whales came, upon
the sudden there came a violent counter-check of
a tide from the south-west against the flood which
we came with, not knowing from whence it was main-
tained.

Fifthly, in sailing twenty leagues within the mouth
of this entrance we had sounding in 90 fathoms, fair
grey oozy sand, and the further we ran into the west-
wards the deeper was the water j so that hard aboard
the shore among these isles we could not have ground
in 330 fathoms.

Lastly, it did ebb and flow six or seven fathom
up and down, the flood coming from divers parts,
so as we could not perceive the chief maintenance
thereof.

The 18 and 19 our captain and master determined
what was best to do, both for the safeguard of their
credits, and satisfying of the adventurers, and resolved,
if the weather brake up, to make further search.

The 20 the wind came directly against us : so they
altered their purpose, and reasoned both for proceed-
ing and returning.

The 21, the wind being north-west, we departed
from these islands ; and as we coasted the south shore
we saw many fair sounds, whereby we were persuaded
that it was no firm land but islands.

Davis. First Voyage 61

The 23 of this month the wind came south-east,
with very stormy and foul weather : so we were con-
strained to seek harbour upon the south coast of
this entrance, where we fell into a very fair sound,
and anchored in 25 fathoms green oozy sand. Here
we went on shore, where we had manifest signs of
people, where they had made their fire, and laid stones
like a wall. In this place we saw four very fair falcons ;
and Master Bruton took from one of them his prey,
which we judged by the wings and legs to be a snite,
for the head was eaten off.

The 24 in the afternoon, the wind coming some-
what fair, we departed from this road, purposing by
God's grace to return for England.

The 26 we departed from sight of the north land
of this entrance, directing our course homewards until
the tenth of the next month.

The 10 of September we fell with The Land of
Desolation, thinking to go. on shore, but we could
get never a good harbour. That night we put to
sea again, thinking to search it the next day ; but
this night arose a very great storm, and separated
our ships, so that we lost the sight of the Moonshine.

The 13 about noon (having tried all the night
before with a goose wing) we set sail, and within two
hours after, we had sight of the Moonshine again. This
day we departed from this land.

The 27 of this month we fell with sight of England.
This night we had a marvellous storm and lost the
Moonshine.

The 30 of September we came into Dartmouth,
where we found the Moonshine, being come in not
two hours before.

DAVIS. SECOND VOYAGE

(By Himself)

The second voyage attempted by Master John Davis
with others, for the discovery of the North-west
passage, in Anno 1586.

The 7 day of May I departed from the port of
Dartmouth for the discovery of the North-west pas-
sage, with a ship of an hundred-and-twenty tons named
the Mermaid, a bark of 60 tons named the Sunshine,
a bark of 35 tons named the Moonshine, and a pinnace
of 10 tons named the North Star.

And the 15 of June I discovered land in the lati-
tude of 60 degrees, and in longitude from the meridian
of London westward 47 degrees, mightily pestered
with ice and snow, so that there was no hope of
landing. The ice lay in some places ten leagues, in
some twenty, and in some fifty leagues off the shore,
so that we were constrained to bear into 57 degrees
to double the same, and to recover a free sea, which
through God's favourable mercy we at length obtained.

The 29 of June after many tempestuous storms we
again discovered land, in longitude from the meridian
of London 58 degrees 30 minutes, and in latitude 64,
being east from us. Into which course, sith it please
God by contrary winds to force us, I thought it very

Davis. Second Voyage 63

necessary to bear in with it, and there to set up our
pinnace, provided in the Mermaid to be our scout
for this discovery ; and so much the rather, because
the year before I had been in the same place, and
found it very convenient for such a purpose, well
stored with float-wood, and possessed by a people
of tractable conversation : so that the 29 of this month
we arrived within the isles which lay before this
land, lying north-north-west, and south-south-east,
we know not how far. This land is very high and
mountainous, having before it on the west side a
mighty company of isles full of fair sounds, and harbours.
This land was very little troubled with snow, and
the sea altogether void of ice.

The ships being within the sounds, we sent our
boats to search for shoal-water, where we might
anchor, which in this place is very hard to find ; and
as the boat went sounding and searching, the people
of the country having espied them, came in their
canoas towards them with many shouts and cries.
But after they had espied in the boat some of our
company that were the year before here with us,
they presently rowed to the boat, and took hold on
the oar, and hung about the boat with such comfortable
joy, as would require a long discourse to be uttered.
They came with the boats to our ships, making signs
that they knew all those that the year before had been
with them. After I perceived their joy and small
fear of us, myself with the merchants and others
of the company went ashore, bearing with me twenty
knives. I had no sooner landed, but they leapt out
of their canoas and came running to me and the rest,
and embraced us with many signs of hearty welcome.

64 Davis. Second Voyage

At this present there were eighteen of them, and
to each of them I gave a knife. They offered skins
to me for reward, but I made signs that they were
not sold, but given them of courtesy ; and so dismissed
them for that time, with signs that they should return
again after certain hours.

The next day with all possible speed the pinnace
was landed upon an isle, there to be finished to serve
our purpose for the discovery. Which isle was so con-
venient for that purpose, as that we were very well
able to defend ourselves against many enemies. During
the time that the pinnace was there setting up, the
people came continually unto us, sometime an hundred
canoas at a time, sometime forty, fifty, more and less,
as occasion served. They brought with them seal
skins, stag skins, white hares, seal fish, salmon peel,
small cod, dry capelin, with other fish, and birds such
as the country did yield.

Myself still desirous to have a further search
of this place, sent one of the ship-boats to one part of
the land, and myself went to another part to search
for the habitation of this people, with straight command-
ment that there should be no injury offered to any
of the people, neither any gun shot.

The boats that went from me found the tents
of the people made with seal skins set up upon timber,
wherein they found great store of dried capelin, being
a little fish no bigger than a pilchard : they found
bags of train oil, many little images cut in wood,
seal skins in tan-tubs, with many other such trifles,
whereof they diminished nothing.

They also found ten miles within the snowy moun-
tains a plain champaign country, with earth and grass,

Davis. Second Voyage 65

such as our moory and waste grounds of England
are. They went up into a river (which in the narrowest
place is two leagues broad) about ten leagues, finding
it still to continue they knew not how far. But I
with my company took another river, which although
at the first it offered a large inlet, yet it proved but
a deep bay, the end whereof in four hours I attained ;
and there leaving the boat well manned, went with
the rest of my company three or four miles into the
country, but found nothing, nor saw anything, save
only gripes, ray ens, and small birds, as larks and
linnets.

The third of July I manned my boat, and went
with fifty canoas attending upon me -up into another
sound, where the people by signs willed me to go,
hoping to find their habitation. At length they made
signs that I should go into a warm place to sleep.
At which place I went on shore, and ascended the top
of a high hill to see into the country, but perceiving
my labour vain, I returned again to my boat, the
people still following me and my company, very diligent
to attend us, and to help us up the rocks, and likewise
down. At length I was desirous to have our men
leap with them, which was done, but our men did
overleap them : from leaping they went to wrestling.
We found them strong and nimble, and to have skill
in wrestling, for they cast some of our men that were
good wrestlers.

The fourth of July we launched our pinnace, and
had forty of the people to help us, which they did
very willingly. At this time our men again wrestled
with them, and found them as before, strong and
skilful. This fourth of July the master of the Mermaid

a. p. 5

66 Davis. Second Voyage

went to certain islands to store himself with wood,
where he found a grave with divers buried in it, only
covered with seal skins, having a cross laid over them.
The people are of good stature, well in body proportioned,
with small slender hands and feet, with broad visages,
and small eyes, wide mouths, the most part unbearded,
great lips, and close toothed. Their custom is, as
often as they go from us, still at their return to make
a new truce, in this sort. Holding his hand up to the
sun, with a loud voice he crieth " Iliaout," and striketh
his breast : with like signs being promised safety,
he giveth credit. These people are much given to
bleed, and therefore stop their noses with deer's hair,
or the hair of an elan. They are idolaters and have
images great store, which they wear about them,
and in their boats, which we suppose they worship.
They are witches, and have many kinds of enchant-
ments, which they often used ; but to small purpose,
thanks be to God.

Being among them at shore the fourth of July,
one of them, making a long oration, began to kindle
a fire in this manner. He took a piece of a board
wherein was a hole half through : into that hole
he puts the end of a round stick like unto a bedstaff,
wetting the end thereof in train, and in fashion of
a turner with a piece of leather, by his violent motion
doth very speedily produce fire. Which done, with
turfs he made a fire, into which with many words
and strange gestures he put divers things, which
we supposed to be a sacrifice. Myself and divers
of my company standing by, they were desirous to
have me go into the smoke. I willed them likewise
to stand in the smoke, which they by no means would

Davis. Second Voyage 67

do. I then took one of them, and thrust him into
the smoke, and willed one of my company to tread out
the fire, and to spurn it into the sea, which was done
to show them that we did contemn their sorcery.
These people are very simple in all their conversation,
but marvellous thievish, especially for iron, which
they have in great account. They began through
our lenity to show their vile nature. They began to
cut our cables : they cut away the Moonshine's boat
from her stern : they cut our cloth where it lay to
air, though we did carefully look unto it : they stole
our oars, a caliver, a boar-spear, a sword, with divers
other things. Whereat the company and masters being
grieved, for our better security desired me to dis-
solve this new friendship, and to leave the company
of these thievish miscreants. Whereupon there was
a caliver shot among them, and immediately upon
the same a falcon, which strange noise did sore
amaze them, so that with speed they departed. Not-
withstanding, their simplicity is such, that within
ten hours after they came again to us to entreat peace ;
which being promised, we again fell into a great league.
They brought us seal skins, and salmon peel ; but
seeing iron, they could in no wise forbear stealing.
Which when I perceived, it did but minister unto me
an occasion of laughter, to see their simplicity, and
I willed that in no case they should be any more hardly
used, but that our own company should be the more
vigilant to keep their things, supposing it to be very
hard in so short time to make them know their evils.
They eat all their meat raw: they live most upon
fish : they drink salt water, and eat grass and ice
with delight. They are never out of the water, but

5-2

68 Davis. Second Voyage

live in the nature of fishes, save only when dead sleep
taketh them, and then under a warm rock laying his
boat upon the land, he lieth down to sleep. Their
weapons are all darts, but some of them have bow
and arrows and slings. They make nets to take their
fish, of the fin of a whale. They do all their things
very artificially : and it should seem that these simple
thievish islanders have war with those of the main,
for many of them are sore wounded, which wounds
they received upon the mainland, as by signs they
gave us to understand. We had among them copper
ore, black copper, and red copper. They pronounce
their language very hollow, and deep in the throat.

The seventh of July, being very desirous to search
the habitation of this country, I went myself with
our new pinnace into the body of the land, thinking
it to be a firm continent ; and passing up a very large
river, a great flaw of wind took me, whereby we were
constrained to seek succour for that night. Which
being had, I landed with the most part of my company,
and went to the top of a high mountain, hoping from
thence to see into the country : but the mountains
were so many and so mighty as that my purpose pre-
vailed not. Whereupon I again returned to my pinnace,
and willing divers of my company to gather mussels
for my supper, whereof in this place there was great
store, myself having espied a very strange sight,
especially to me that never before saw the like, which
was a mighty whirlwind taking up the water in very
great quantity, furiously mounting it into the air.
Which whirlwind was not for a puff or blast, but
continual, for the space of three hours, with very little
intermission. Which sith it was in the course that I

Davis. Second Voyage 69

should pass, we were constrained that night to take
up our lodging under the rocks.

The next morning the storm being broken up,
we went forward in our attempt, and sailed into a
mighty great river directly into the body of the land ;
and in brief, found it to be no firm land, but huge,
waste, and desert isles with mighty sounds, and inlets
passing between sea and sea. Whereupon we returned
towards our ships, and landing to stop a flood, we
found the burial of these miscreants. We found of
their fish in bags, plaice and capelin dried, of which
we took only one bag and departed. The ninth of
this month we came to our ships, where we found
the people desirous, in their fashion, of friendship
and barter. Our mariners complained heavily against
the people, and said that my lenity and friendly
using of them gave them stomach to mischief : " For
they have stolen an anchor from us : they have cut our
cable very dangerously : they have cut our boats from
our stern ; and now, since your departure, with slings
they spare us not with stones of half a pound weight :
and will you still endure these injuries ? It is a shame
to bear them." I desired them to be content, and
said, I doubted not but that all should be well. The
10 of this month I went to the shore, the people
following me in their canoas. I tolled them on shore,
and used them with much courtesy, and then departed
aboard, they following me and my company. I gave
some of them bracelets, and caused seven or eight
of them to come aboard, which they did willingly,
and some of them went into the top of the ship ;
and thus courteously using them, I let them depart.
The sun was no sooner down, but they began to practise

70 Davis. Second Voyage

their devilish nature, and with slings threw stones
very fiercely into the Moonshine, and struck one of
her men then boatswain, that he overthrew withal.
Whereat being moved, I changed my courtesy, and
grew to hatred. Myself in my own boat well manned
with shot, and the bark's boat likewise, pursued them,
and gave them divers shot, but to small purpose, by
reason of their swift rowing : so smally content we
returned.

The 11 of this month there came five of them
to make a new truce. The master of the Admiral
came to me to show me of their coming, and desired
to have them taken and kept as prisoners until we
had his anchor again. But when he saw that the chief
ringleader and master of mischief was one of the
five, he then was vehement to execute his purpose,
so it was determined to take him. He came crying
" Iliaout," and striking his breast offered a pair of
gloves to sell : the master offered him a knife for them .
So two of them came to us : the one was not touched,
but the other was soon captive among us. Then we
pointed to him and his fellows for our anchor, which
being had, we made signs that he should be set at
liberty. Within one hour after he came aboard the
wind came fair, whereupon we weighed and set sail,
and so brought the fellow with us : one of his fellows
still following our ship close aboard, talked with
him and made a kind of lamentation, we still using
him well with " Iliaout," which was the common
course of courtesy. At length this fellow aboard
us spake four or five words unto the other and clapped
his two hands upon his face, whereupon the other
doing the like, departed as we suppose with heavy

Davis. Second Voyage 71

cheer. We judged the covering of his face with his
hands and bowing of his body down, signified his
death. At length he became a pleasant companion
among us. I gave him a new suit of frieze after
the English fashion, because I saw he could not endure
the cold, of which he was very joyful. He trimmed
up his darts, and all his fishing tools, and would make
oakum, and set his hand to a rope's end upon occasion.
He lived with the dry capelin that I took when I was
searching in the pinnace, and did eat dry Newland
fish.

All this while, God be thanked, our people were
in very good health, only one young man excepted,
who died at sea the fourteenth of this month, and the
fifteenth, according to the order of the sea, with praise
given to God by service, was cast overboard.

The 17 of this month being in the latitude of
63 degrees 8 minutes, we fell upon a most mighty
and strange quantity of ice in one entire mass, so
big as that we knew not the limits thereof, and being
withal so very high in form of a land, with bays and
capes and like high cliff-land, as that we supposed
it to be land, and therefore sent our pinnace off to
discover it : but at her return we were certainly
informed that it was only ice, which bred great admira-
tion to us all considering the huge quantity thereof,
incredible to be reported in truth as it was, and there-
fore I omit to speak any further thereof. This only
I think, that the like before was never seen : and in
this place we had very stickle and strong currents.

We coasted this mighty mass of ice until the
30 of July, finding it a mighty bar to our purpose.
The air in this time was so contagious and the sea

72 Davis. Second Voyage

so pestered with ice, as that all hope was banished
of proceeding ; for the 24 of July all our shrouds,
ropes, and sails were so frozen, and compassed with
ice, only by a gross fog, as seemed to me more than
strange, sith the last year I found this sea free and
navigable, without impediments.

Our men through this extremity began to grow
sick and feeble, and withal hopeless of good success :
whereupon very orderly, with good discretion they
entreated me to regard the state of this business,
and withal advised me, that in conscience I ought
to regard the safety of mine own life with the preserva-
tion of theirs, and that I should not through my over-
boldness leave their widows and fatherless children
to give me bitter curses. This matter in conscience
did greatly move me to regard their estates : yet
considering the excellency of the business, if it might
be attained, the great hope of certainty by the last
year's discovery, and that there was yet a third way
not put in practice, I thought it would grow to my
great disgrace, if this action by my negligence should
grow into discredit. Whereupon, seeking help from
God, the fountain of all mercies, it pleased His divine
Majesty to move my heart to prosecute that which
I hope shall be to His glory, and to the contentation
of every Christian mind. Whereupon, falling into
consideration that the Mermaid, albeit a very strong
and sufficient ship, yet by reason of her burthen
was not so convenient and nimble as a smaller bark,
especially in such desperate hazards : further, having
in account her great charge to the adventurers, being
at £100 the month, and that in doubtful service :
all the premises considered with divers other things,

Davis. Second Voyage 73

I determined to furnish theHMoonshine with revictualling
and sufficient men, and to proceed in this action as
God should direct me. Whereupon I altered our
course from the ice, and bare east-south-east to recover
the next shore where this thing might be performed.
So with favourable wind it pleased God that the first
of August we discovered the land in latitude 66 degrees
33 minutes, and in longitude from the meridian of
London 70 degrees, void of trouble, without snow
or ice.

The second of August we harboured ourselves
in a very excellent good road, where with all speed
we graved the Moonshine, and re victualled her. We
searched this country with our pinnace while the bark
was trimming, which William Eston did. He found
all this land to be only islands, with a sea on the east,
a sea on the west, and a sea on the north. In this
place we found it very hot, and we were very much
troubled with a fly which is called mosquito, for they
did sting grievously. The people of this place at
our first coming in caught a seal, and with bladders
fast tied to him sent him unto us with the flood, so
as he came right with our ships, which we took as
a friendly present from them.

The fifth of August I went with the two masters
and others to the top of a hill, and by the way William
Eston espied three canoas lying under a rock, and
went unto them. There were in them skins, darts,
with divers superstitious toys, whereof we diminished
nothing, but left upon every boat a silk point, a bullet
of lead, and a pin. The next day, being the sixth
of August, the people came unto us without fear,
and did barter with us for skins, as the other people

74 Davis. Second Voyage

did. They differ not from the other, neither in their
canoas nor apparel, yet is their pronunciation more
plain than the others, and nothing hollow in the throat.
Our savage aboard us kept himself close, and made
show that he would fain have another companion.
Thus being provided, I departed from this land the
twelfth of August at six of the clock in the morning,
where I left the Mermaid at an anchor. The fourteenth,
sailing west about fifty leagues, we discovered land,
being in latitude 66 degrees 19 minutes : this land
is 70 leagues from the other from whence we came.
This fourteenth day from nine o'clock at night till
three o'clock in the morning, we anchored by an
island of ice, twelve leagues off the shore, being moored
to the ice.

The fifteenth day at three o'clock in the morning
we departed from this land to the south, and the
eighteenth of August we discovered land north-west
from us in the morning, being a very fair promontory,
in latitude 65 degrees, having no land on the south.
Here we had great hope of a through passage.

This day at three o'clock in the afternoon we again
discovered land south-west and by south from us,
where at night we were becalmed. The nineteenth
of this month at noon, by observation, we were in
64 degrees 20 minutes. From the eighteenth day at
noon unto the nineteenth at noon, by precise ordinary
care, we had sailed 15 leagues south and by west,
yet by art and more exact observation, we found our
course to be south-west, so that we plainly perceived
a great current striking to the west.

This land is nothing in sight but isles, which in-
creaseth our hope. This nineteenth of August at

Davis. Second Voyage 75

six o'clock in the afternoon, it began to snow, and
so continued all night with foul weather, and much
wind, so that we were constrained to lie at hull all
night five leagues off the shore. In the morning being
the twentieth of August, the fog and storm breaking
up, we bare in with the land, and at nine o'clock
in the morning we anchored in a very fair and safe
road and locked for all weathers. At ten of the clock
I went on shore to the top of a very high hill, where I
perceived that this land was islands : at four of the
clock in the afternoon we weighed anchor, having a
fair north-north-east wind, with very fair weather : at
six of the clock we were clear without the land, and so
shaped our course to the south, to discover the coast,
whereby the passage may be through God's mercy found.
We coasted this land till the eight and twentieth
of August, finding it still to continue towards the south,
from the latitude of 67 to 57 degrees. We found
marvellous great store of . birds, gulls and mews,
incredible to be reported. Whereupon being calm
weather, we lay one glass upon the lee, to prove for
fish, in which space we caught 100 of cod, although
we were but badly provided for fishing, not being
our purpose. This eight and twentieth having great
distrust of the weather, we arrived in a very fair harbour
in the latitude of 56 degrees, and sailed 10 leagues
into the same, being two leagues broad, with very
fair woods on both sides : in this place we continued
until the first of September, in which time we had
two very great storms. I landed, and went six miles
by guess into the country, and found that the woods
were fir, pine, apple, alder, yew, withy, and birch :
here we saw a black bear. This place yieldeth great

76 Davis. Second Voyage

store of birds, as pheasant, partridge, Barbary hens or
the like, wild geese, ducks, blackbirds, jays, thrushes,
with other kinds of small birds. Of the partridge and
pheasant we killed great store with bow and arrows :
in this place at the harbour mouth we found great
store of cod.

The first of September at ten o'clock we set sail,
and coasted the shore with very fair weather. The
third day being calm, at noon we struck sail, and let
fall a kedge anchor, to prove whether we could take
any fish, being in latitude 54 degrees 30 minutes ;
in which place we found great abundance of cod, so
that the hook was no sooner overboard, but presently
a fish was taken. It was the largest and the best
fed fish that ever I saw, and divers fishermen that were
with me said that they never saw a more suavle or
better scull of fish in their lives : yet had they seen
great abundance.

The fourth of September at five o'clock in the
afternoon we anchored in a very good road among great
store of isles, the country lowland, pleasant and very
full of fair woods. To the north of this place eight
leagues, we had a perfect hope of the passage, finding
a mighty great sea passing between two lands west,
the south land to our judgment being nothing but isles. (
We greatly desired to go into this sea, but the wind was
directly against us. We anchored in four fathom fine
sand. In this place is fowl and fish mighty store.

The sixth of September having a fair north-north-
west wind, having trimmed our bark we purposed to
depart, and sent five of our sailer's young men ashore
to an island, to fetch certain fish which we purposed
to weather, and therefore left it all night covered

Davis. Second Voyage 77

upon the isle. The brutish people of this country
lay secretly lurking in the wood, and upon the sudden
assaulted our men : which when we perceived, we
presently let slip our cables upon the hawse, and under
our foresail bare into the shore, and with all expedition
discharged a double musket upon them twice, at
the noise whereof they fled. Notwithstanding, to our
very great grief, two of our men were slain with their
arrows, and two grievously wounded, of whom at
this present we stand in very great doubt. Only one
escaped by swimming, with an arrow shot through his
arm. These wicked miscreants never offered parley or
speech, but presently executed their cursed fury.

This present evening it pleased God further to in-
crease our sorrows with a mighty tempestuous storm,
the wind being north-north-east, which lasted unto the
tenth of this month very extreme. We unrigged
our ship, and purposed to cut down our masts. The
cable of our sheet-anchor brake so that we only expected
to be driven on shore among these cannibals for their
prey. Yet in this deep distress the mighty mercy
of God, when hope was past, gave us succour, and sent
us a fair lee, so as we recovered our anchor again,
and new moored our ship : where we saw that God
manifestly delivered us ; for the strands of one of
our cables were broken, and we only rode by an old
junk. Thus being freshly moored a new storm arose,
the wind being west-north-west, very forcible, which
lasted unto the tenth day at night.

The eleventh day with a fair west-north-west
wind we departed with trust in God's mercy, shaping
our course for England, and arrived in the West country
in the beginning of October.

DAVIS. THIRD VOYAGE

The third voyage north-westward, made by Master
John Davis, gentleman, as chief captain and pilot
general, for the discovery of a passage to the isles
of the Moluccas, or the coast of China, in the
year 1587. Written by Master John Jane.

May

The 19 of this present month about midnight we
weighed our anchors, set sail, and departed from
Dartmouth with two barks and a clincher, the one
named the Elizabeth of Dartmouth, the other the
Sunshine of London, and the clincher called the Helen
of London : thus in God's name we set forwards
with the wind at north-east a good fresh gale. About
three hours after our departure, the night being some-
what thick with darkness, we had lost the pinnace :
the captain imagining that the men had run away
with her, willed the master of the Sunshine to stand
to seawards, and see if we could descry them, we
bearing in with the shore for Plymouth. At length
we descried her, bare with her, and demanded what
the cause was : they answered that the tiller of their
helm was burst. So shaping our course west-south-
west, we went forward, hoping that a hard beginning
would make a good ending, yet some of us were doubtful
of it, falling in reckoning that she was a clincher ;
nevertheless we put our trust in God.

Davis. Third Voyage 79

The 21 we met with the Red Lion of London,
which came from the coast of Spain, which was afraid
that we had been men-of-war; but we hailed them,
and after a little conference, we desired the master
to carry our letters for London directed to my uncle
Sanderson, who promised us a safe delivery. And
after we had heaved them a lead and a line, where-
unto we had made fast our letters, before they could
get them into the ship, they fell into the sea, and so
all our labour and theirs also was lost ; notwith-
standing they promised to certify our departure at
London, and so we departed, and the same day we
had sight of Scilly.

June

The first six days we had fair weather : after that
for five days we had fog and rain, the wind being
south. The 12 we had clear weather. The mariners
in the Sunshine and the master could not agree :
the mariners would go on their voyage a-fishing,
because the year began to waste : the master would
not depart till he had the company of the Elizabeth.
Whereupon the master told our captain that he was
afraid his men would shape some contrary course
while he was asleep, and so he should lose us. At
length after much talk and many threatenings, they
were content to bring us to the land which we looked
for daily.

The 14 day we discovered land at five of the clock
in the morning, being very great and high mountains,
the tops of the hills being covered with snow.

The 16 we came to an anchor about four or five
of the clock after noon. The people came presently

80 Davis. Third Voyage

to us after the old manner, with crying " Iliaout " and
showing us seals' skins. The 17 we began to set up
the pinnace that Pearson framed at Dartmouth, with
the boards which he brought from London.

The 18 Pearson and the carpenters of the ships
began to set on the planks. The 19 as we went about
an island, were found black pumice stones, and salt
kerned on the rocks, very white and glistering. This
day also the master of the Sunshine took of the people
a very strong lusty young fellow.

The 20 about two of the clock in the morning,
the savages came to the island where our pinna'ce
was built ready to be launched, and tore the two
upper strakes, and carried them away only for the
love of the iron in the boards. While they were about
this practice, we manned the Elizabeth's boat to go
ashore to them. Our men being either afraid or amazed,
were so long before they came to shore, that our captain
willed them to stay, and made the gunner give fire
to a saker, and laid the piece level with the boat
which the savages had turned on the one side, because
we should not hurt them with our arrows ; and made
the boat their bulwark against the arrows^which we
shot at them. Our gunner having made all things
ready, gave fire to the piece, and fearing to hurt any
of the people, and regarding the owner's profit, thought
belike he would save a saker's shot, doubting we should
have occasion to fight with men-of-war, and so shot
off the saker without a bullet. We looking still when
the savages that were hurt should run away without
legs, at length we could perceive never a man hurt,
but all having their legs could carry away their bodies.
We had no sooner shot off the piece, but the master

Davis. Third Voyage 81

of the Sunshine manned his boat, and came rowing
toward the island, the very sight of whom made each
of them take that he had gotten, and flee away as
fast as they could to another island about two miles
off, where they took the nails out of the timber,
and left the wood on the isle. When we came on shore,
and saw how they had Spoiled the boat, after much
debating of the matter, we agreed that the Elizabeth
should have her to fish withal : whereupon she was
presently carried aboard, and stowed.

Now after this trouble, being resolved to depart
with the first wind, there fell out another matter
worse than all the rest, and that was in this manner.
John Churchyard, one whom our captain had appointed
as pilot in the pinnace, came to our captain, and Master
Bruton, and told them that the good ship which we
must all hazard our lives in, had three hundred strokes
at one time as she rode in the harbour. This disquieted
us all greatly, and many doubted to go in her. At
length our captain, by whom we were all to be governed,
determined rather to end his life with credit, than to
return with infamy and disgrace, and so being all
agreed, we purposed to live and die together, and
committed ourselves to the ship. Now the 21,
having brought all our things aboard, about eleven
or twelve of the clock at night we set sail and
departed from those isles, which lie in 64 degrees
of latitude, our ships being all now at sea, and we
shaping our course to go, coasting the land to the
northwards upon the eastern shore, (which we called
the shore of our merchants, because there we met
with people which trafficked with us) ; but here we
were not without doubt of our ship.

a. p. 6

82 Davis. Third Voyage

The 24 being in 67 degrees and 40 minutes, we
had great store of whales, and a kind of sea-birds
which the mariners call cortinous. This day about
six of the clock at night, we espied two of the
country people at sea, thinking at the first they had
been two great seals, until we saw their oars glistering
with the sun. They came sowing towards us, as fast
as they could, and when they came within hearing,
they held up their oars, and cried " Iliaout," making
many signs ; and at last they came to us, giving us
birds for bracelets, and of them I had a dart with a
bone in it, or a piece of unicorn's horn, as I did judge.
This dart he made store of, but when he saw a knife,
he let it go, being more desirous of the knife than of
his dart. These people continued rowing after our
ship the space of three hours.

The 25 in the morning, at seven of the clock, we
descried 30 savages rowing after us, being by judg-
ment 10 leagues off from the shore. They brought
us salmon peels, birds, and capelin, and we gave them
pins, needles, bracelets, nails, knives, bells, looking-
glasses, and other small trifles ; and for a kntfe, a nail
or a bracelet (which they call ponigmah), they would
sell their boat, coats, or anything they had, although
they were far from the shore. We had but few skins
of them, about 20, but they made signs to us that
if we would go to the shore, we should have more
store of chichsanege : they stayed with us till 1 1 of
the clock, at which time we went to prayer, and they
departed from us.

The 28 and 29 were foggy with clouds, the 30 day
we took the height, and found ourselves in 72 degrees
and 12 minutes of latitude both at noon and at night,

Davis. Third Voyage 83

the sun being 5 degrees above the horizon. At mid-
night the compass set to the variation of 28 degrees
to the westward. Now having coasted the land, which
we called London Coast, from the 21 of this present,
till the 30, the sea open all to the westwards and
northwards, the land on starboard side east from us,
the wind shifted to the north, whereupon we left that
shore, naming the same Hope Sanderson, and shaped
our course west, and ran 40 leagues and better with-
out the sight of any land.

July

The second of July we fell with a mighty bank
of ice west from us, lying north and south, which
bank we would gladly have doubled out to the north-
wards, but the wind would not suffer us, so that we
were fain to coast it to the southwards, hoping to
double it out, that we might have run so far west
till we had found land, or else to have been thoroughly
resolved of our pretended purpose.

The 3 we fell with the ice again, and putting off
from it, we sought to the northwards, but the wind
crossed us.

The 12 we coasted again the ice, having the wind
at north-north-west. The 13 bearing off from the ice,
we determined to go with the shore and come to an
anchor, and to stay five or six days for the dissolving
of the ice, hoping that the sea continually beating it,
and the sun, with the extreme force of heat which it
had, always shining upon it, would make a quick
dispatch, that we might have a further search upon
the western shore. Now when we were come to the

6—2

84 Davis. Third Voyage

eastern coast, the water something deep, and some
of our company fearful withal, we durst not come
to an anchor, but bare off into the sea again. The
poor people seeing us go away again, came rowing
after us into the sea, the waves being somewhat
lofty. We trucked with them for a few skins and
darts, and gave them beads, nails, pins, needles, and
cards, they pointing to the shore, as though they would
show us some great friendship : but we little regarding
their courtesy, gave them the gentle farewell, and so
departed.

The 19 at one o'clock after noon, we had sight of
the land which we called Mount Raleigh, and at 12 of
the clock at night, we were thwart the straits which
we discovered the first year. The 20 we traversed in
the mouth of the strait, the wind being at west, with
fair and clear weather. The 21 and 22 we coasted the
northern coast of the straits. The 23 having sailed
threescore leagues north-west into the straits, at two
o'clock after noon we anchored among many isles in
the bottom of the gulf, naming the same The Earl of
Cumberland's Isles, where riding at anchor, a whale
passed by our ship and went west in among the isles.
Here the compass set at 30 degrees westward variation.
The 23 we departed, shaping our course south-east to
recover the sea. The 25 we were becalmed in the
bottom of the gulf, the air being extreme hot. Master
Bruton and some of the mariners went on shore to
course dogs, where they found many graves, and train
spilt on the ground, the dogs being so fat that they
were scant able to run.

The 26 we had a pretty storm, the wind being at
south-east. The 27 and 28 were fair. The 29 we were

Davis. Third Voyage 85

clear out of the straits, having coasted the south shore,
and this day at noon we were in 62 degrees of latitude.
The 30 in the afternoon we coasted a bank of ice, which
lay on the shore, and passed by a great bank or inlet,
which lay between 63 and 62 degrees of latitude, which
we called Lumley's Inlet. We had oftentimes, as we
sailed alongst the coast, great ruts, the water as it were
whirling and overfalling, as if it were the fall of some
great water through a bridge.

The 31 as we sailed by a headland, which we named
Warwick's Foreland, we fell into one of those over-
falls with a fresh gale of wind, .and bearing all our
sails, we looking upon an island of ice between us
and the shore, had thought that our bark did make
no way, which caused us to take marks on the shore.
At length we perceived ourselves to go very fast,
and the island of ice, which we saw before, was carried
very forcibly with the set of the current faster than
our ship went. This day and night we passed by a
very great gulf, the water whirling and roaring as
it were the meetings of tides.

August

The first of August having coasted a bank of ice
which was driven out at the mouth of this gulf, we
fell with the southermost cape of the gulf, which
we named Chidley's Cape, which lay in 61 degrees
and 10 minutes of latitude. The 12 we saw five
deer on the top of an island, called by us Darcey's
Island. And we hoised out our boat, and went
ashore to them, thinking to have killed some of them.
But when we came on shore, and had coursed them

86 Davis. Third Voyage

twice about the island, they took the sea and swam
towards islands distant from that three leagues.
When we perceived that they had taken the sea,
we gave them over, because our boat was so small
that it could not carry us, and row after them, they
swam so fast : but one of them was as big as a good
pretty cow, and very fat, their feet as big as ox feet.
Here upon this island I killed with my piece a gray
hare.

The 13 in the morning we saw three or four white
bears, but durst not go on shore to them for lack of
a good boat. This day we struck a rock seeking for
an harbour, and received a leak : and this day we were
in 54 degrees of latitude.

The 14 we stopped our leak in a storm not very
outrageous, at noon.

The 15 being almost in 52 degrees of latitude,
and not finding our ships, nor (according to their
promise) any kind of mark, token, or beacon, which
we willed them to set up, (and they protested to do
so upon every headland, island, or cape, within twenty
leagues every way off from their fishing place, wftich
our captain appointed to be between 54 and 55 degrees),
this 15, I say, we shaped our course homewards for
England, having in our ship but little wood, and
half a hogshead of fresh water. Our men were very
willing to depart, and no man more forward than
Pearson, for he feared to be put out of his office of
stewardship ; but because every man was so willing to
depart, we consented to return for our own country :
and so we had the 16 fair weather, with the wind at
south-west.

The 17 we met a ship at sea, and as far as we

Davis. Third Voyage 87

could judge it was a Biscayan. We thought she went
a-fishing for whales; for in 52 degrees or thereabout
we saw very many.

The 18 was fair, with a good gale at west.

The 19 fair also, with much wind at west and by
south.

And thus, after much variable weather and change
of winds, we arrived the 15 of September in Dart-
mouth, anno 1587, giving thanks to God for our safe
arrival.

HUDSON. LAST VOYAGE

(For the Discovery of the North West
Passage) 1610

(By Abacuk Prickett)1

[Sailing in one ship only, the Discovery, about the
middle of April, 1610, they reached Greenland early
in June, touching at Iceland on the way. From
Greenland they sailed to the west, reached Hudson
Strait towards the end of June, and entered Hudson
Bay (called by Hudson "The Bay of God's Great
Mercies") close to Cape Wolstenholme in the beginning
of August. For three months they explored the
southern part of the Bay, and there they were obliged
to winter, the ship being frozen in by November 10.
They had a scanty supply of provisions; there had
already been signs of mutiny, and Hudson had dis-
placed his mate Robert Juet and the boatswain
Clement, appointing in their stead Robert Bylot
(who became afterwards a well-known Arctic explorer)
and William Wilson.]

1 It should be borne in mind, in reading Prickett's narrative, with its
hazy geographical details, that it was written with a view to white-
washing the mutineers, who had saved his life for this purpose, rather
than to giving an account of the voyage. Dead men tell no tales, and
so he throws part of the blame for the mutiny on Hudson himself, but
the greater part on Greene and the others who had never returned . The
survivors, including himself, are free from guilt.

Hudson. Last Voyage

89

We were victualled for six months in good propor-
tion, and of that which was good : if our master would
have had more, he might have had it at home and in
other places. Here we were now, and therefore it
behoved us so to spend, that we might have (when

Hudson Bay and its approaches

time came) to bring us to the capes where the fowl
bred, for that was all the hope we had to bring us
home. Wherefore our master took order, first for
the spending of that we had, and then to increase it,
by propounding a reward to them that killed either
beast, fish, or fowl, as in his journal you have seen.

90 Hudson. Last Voyage

About the middle of this month of November, died
John Williams, our gunner. God pardon the master's
uncharitable dealing with this man. Now for that
I am come to speak of him, out of whose ashes (as it
were) that unhappy deed grew, which brought a scandal
upon all that are returned home, and upon the action
itself, the multitude (like the dog) running after the
stone, but not at the caster: therefore, not to wrong
the living nor slander the dead, I will (by the leave of
God) deliver the truth as near as I can.

You shall understand that our master kept (in
his house at London) a young man, named Henry
Greene, born in Kent, of worshipful parents, but by
his lewd life and conversation he had lost the good will
of all his friends, and had spent all that he had. This
man our master would have to sea with him, because
he could write well. Our master gave him meat, and
drink, and lodging, and by means of one Master Venson,
with much ado got four pounds of his mother to buy him
clothes, wherewith Master Venson wculd not trust
him ; but saw it laid out himself. This Henry Greene
was not set down in the owners' book, nor any wages
made for him. So Henry Greene stood upright, and
very inward with the master, and was a serviceable
man every way for manhood : but for religion he
would say, he was clean paper, whereon he might
write what he would. Now when our gunner was
dead, and (as the order is in such cases) if the company
stand in need of anything that belonged to the man
deceased, then is it brought to the mainmast, and
there sold to them that will give most for the same.
This gunner had a gray cloth gown, which Greene
prayed the master to friend him so much, as to let him

Hudson. Last Voyage 91

have it, paying for it as another would give. The master
saith he should, and thereupon he answered some,
that sought to have it, that Greene should have it,
and none else, and so it rested.

Now out of season and time the master calleth the
carpenter to go in hand with a house on shore, which
at the beginning our master would not hear, when it
might have been done. The carpenter told him, that
the snow and frost were such, as he neither could nor
would go in hand with such work. Which when our
master heard, he ferreted him out of his cabin to strike
him, calling him by many foul names, and threatening
to hang him. The carpenter told him that he knew
what belonged to his place better than himself, and
that he was no house carpenter. So this passed, and
the house was (after) made with much labour, but to
no end. The next day, after the master and the
carpenter fell out, the carpenter took his piece and
Henry Greene with him ; for it was an order that none
should go out alone, but one with a piece, and another
with a pike. This did move the master so much the
more against Henry Greene, that Robert Bylot, his
mate, must have the gown, and had it delivered unto
him. Which when Henry Greene saw, he challenged
the master's promise ; but the master did so rail on
Greene, with so many words of disgrace, telling him
that all his friends would not trust him with twenty
shillings, and therefore why should he ? As for wages
he had none, nor none should have, if he did not please
him well. Yet the master had promised him to make
his wages as good as any man's in the ship; and to
have him one of the Prince's guard when we came
home. But vou shall see how the devil out of this

92 Hudson. Last Voyage

so wrought with Greene, that he did the master what
mischief he could, in seeking to discredit him, and to
thrust him and many other honest men out of the ship
in the end. To speak of all our trouble in this time
of winter (which was so cold, as it lamed the most of
our company, and myself do yet feel it) would be too
tedious.

But I must not forget to shew how mercifully God
dealt with us in this time. For the space of three months
we had such store of fowl of one kind (which were
partridges as white as milk), that we killed above an
hundred dozen, besides others of sundry sorts : for all
was fish that came to the net. The spring coming, this
fowl left us : yet they were with us all the extreme cold.
Then in their places came divers sort of other fowl, as
swan, geese, duck, and teal, but hard to come by.
Our master hoped they would have bred in those
broken grounds, but they do not; buj: came from the
south, and flew to the north, further than we were
this voyage. Yet if they be taken short with the wind
at north, or north-west, or north-east, then they fall
and stay till the wind serve them, and then fly to the
north. Now in time these fowls are gone, and few or
none to be seen. Then we went into the woods, hills,
and valleys, for all things that had any shew of sub-
stance in them, how vile soever: the moss of the
ground, than the which I take the powder of a post to
be much better, and the frog (in his engendering time
as loathsome as a toad) was not spared. But amongst
the divers sorts of buds, it pleased God that Thomas
Woodhouse brought home a bud of a tree full of a
turpentine substance. Of this our surgeon made a
decoction to drink, and applied the buds hot to them

Hudson. Last Voyage 93

that were troubled with ache in any part of their
bodies; and for my part, I confess, I received great
and present ease of my pain.

About this time, when the ice began to break out
of the bays, there came a savage to our ship, as it were
to see and to be seen, being the first that we had seen
in all this time: whom our master entreated well,
and made much of him, promising unto himself great
matters by his means, and therefore would have all
the knives and hatchets (which any man had) to his
private use, but received none, but from John King,
the carpenter, and myself. To this savage our master
gave a knife, a looking-glass, and buttons, who received
them thankfully, and made signs that after he had
slept he would come again, which he did. When he
came he brought with him a sled, which he drew after
him, and upon it two deer skins and two beaver skins.
He had a scrip under his arm, out of which he drew
those things which the master had given him. He
took the knife, and laid it upon one of the beaver skins,
and his glasses and buttons upon the other, and so
gave them to the master, who received them j and the
savage took those things which the master had given
him, and put them up into his scrip again. Then the
master shewed him an hatchet, for which he would
have given the master one of his deer skins, but our
master would have them both, and so he had, although
not willingly. After many signs of people to the
north and to the south, and that after so many sleeps
he would come again, he went his way, but never came
more.

Now the ice being out of the sounds, so that our
boat might go from one place unto another, a company

94 Hudson. Last Voyage

of men were appointed by the master to go a fishing
with our net. Their names were as followeth : William
Wilson, Henry Greene, Michael Perce, John Thomas,
Andrew Moter, Bennet Mathewes, and Arnold Lodlo.
These men, the first day they went, caught five hundred
fish, as big as good herrings, and some trouts. Which
put us all in some hope to have our wants supplied,
and our commons amended ; but these were the most
that ever they got in one day, for many days they
got not a quarter so many. In this time of their
fishing, Henry Greene and William Wilson, with some
others, plotted to take the net and the shallop, which
the carpenter had now set up, and so to shift for
themselves. But the shallop being ready, our master
would go in it himself to the south and south-west,
to see if he could meet with the people; for to that
end was it set up, and (that way)*we might see the
woods set on fire by them. So the master took the
seine and the shallop, and so much victual as would
serve for eight or nine days, and to the south he went.
They that remained aboard were to take in water,
wood, and ballast, and to have all things in a readiness
against he came back. But he set no time of his return,
for he was persuaded, if he could meet with the people,
he should have flesh of them, and that good store:
but he returned worse than he went forth. For he
could by no means meet with the people, although
they were near them, yet they would set the woods on
fire in his sight.

Being returned, he fitted all things for his return,
and first delivered all the bread out of the bread room
(which came to a pound a piece for every man's share),
and delivered also a bill of return, willing them to have

Hudson. Last Voyage 95

that to shew, if it pleased God that they came home :
and he wept when he gave it unto them. But to help
us in this poor estate with some relief, the boat and
seine went to work on Friday morning, and stayed
till Sunday noon: at which time they came aboard,
and brought fourscore small fish, a poor relief for so
many hungry bellies. Then we weighed and stood
out of our wintering place, and came to an anchor
without, in the mouth of the bay : from whence we
weighed and came to an anchor without in the sea,
where our bread being gone, that store of cheese we
had was to stop a gap, whereof there were five, whereat
the company grudged, because they made account of
nine. But those that were left were equally divided by
the master, although he had counsel to the contrary:
for there were some who having it, would make haste
to be rid thereof, because they could not govern it.
I knew when Henry Greene gave half his bread, which
he had for fourteen days, to one to keep, and prayed
him not to let him have any until the next Monday:
but before Wednesday at night he never left till he had
it again, having eaten up his first week's bread before.
So Wilson the boatswain hath eaten (in one day) his
fortnight's bread, and hath been two or three days
sick for his labour. The cause that moved the master
to deliver all the cheese, was because they were not
all of one goodness, and therefore they should see that
they had no wrong done them ; but every man should
have alike the best and the worst together, which was
three pounds and a half for seven days.

The wind serving, we weighed and stood to the
north-west, and on Monday at night (the eighteenth
day of June) we fell into the ice, and the next day, the

96 Hudson. Last Voyage

wind being at west, we lay there till Sunday in sight
of land. Now being here, the master told Nicholas
Simmes that there would be a breaking up of chests
and a search for bread, and willed him, if he had any,
to bring it to him, which he did, and delivered to the
master thirty cakes in a bag. This deed of the master
(if it be true) hath made me marvel what should be
the reason that he did not stop the breach in the begin-
ning, but let it grow to that height, as that it overthrew
himself and many other honest men: but "there are
many devices in the heart of man, yet the counsel of the
Lord shall stand"

Being thus in the ice on Saturday, the one and
twentieth of June, at night, Wilson the boatswain and
Henry Greene came to me lying in my cabin lame,
and told me that they and the rest of their associates
would shift the company, and turn the master and all
the sick men into the shallop, and let them shift for
themselves. For there was not fourteen days' victual
left for all the company, at that poor allowance they
were at; and that there they lay, the master not caring
to go one way or other : and that they had not eaten
anything these three days, and therefore were resolute,
either to mend or end, and what they had begun they
would go through with it, or die. When I heard this.
I told them I marvelled to hear so much from them,
considering that they were married men, and had wives
and children, and that for their sakes they should
not commit so foul a thing in the sight of God and
man, as that would be; for why should they banish
themselves from their native country ? Henry Greene
bade me hold my peace, for he knew the worst, which
was, to be hanged when he came home, and therefore

Hudson. Last Voyage 97

of the two he would rather be hanged at home than
starved abroad: and for the good will they bare me,
they would have me stay in the ship. I gave them
thanks, and told them that I came into her, not
to forsake her, yet not to hurt myself and others
by any such deed. Henry Greene told me then,
that I must take my fortune in the shallop. "If
there be no remedy," said I, "the will of God be
done."

Away went Henry Greene in a rage, swearing to
cut his throat that went about to disturb them, and
left Wilson by me, with whom I had some talk, but to
no good ; for he was so persuaded, that there was no
remedy now but to go on while it was hot, lest their
party should fail them, and the mischief they had
intended to others should light on themselves. Henry
Greene came again, and demanded of him what I said.
Wilson answered : " He is in his old song, still patient."
Then I spake to Henry Greene to stay three days, in
which time I would so deal with the master that all
should be well. So I dealt with him to forbear but two
days, nay twelve hours. " There is no way," then say
they, "but out of hand." Then I told them, that if
they would stay till Monday, I would join with them to
share all the victuals in the ship, and would justify it
when I came home ; but this would not serve their turns.
Wherefore I told them it was some worse matter they
had in hand, than they made show of, and that it was
blood and revenge he sought, or else he would not at such
a time of night undertake such a deed. Henry Greene
(with that) taketh my Bible which lay before me, and
sware that he would do no man harm, and what he
did was for the good of the voyage, and for nothing

a. p. 7

98 Hudson. Last Voyage

else ; and that all the rest should do the like. The like
did Wilson swear.

Henry Greene went his way, and presently came
Juet, who, because he was an ancient man, I hoped to
have found some reason in him ; but he was worse than
Henry Greene, for he sware plainly that he would
justify this deed when he came home. After him came
John Thomas and Michael Perce, as birds of one feather ;
but because they are not living, I will let them go, as
then I did. Then came Moter and Bennet, of whom
I demanded, if they were well advised what they had
taken in hand. They answered, they were, and there-
fore came to take their oath.

Now, because I am much condemned for this oath,
as one of them that plotted with them, and that by
an oath I should bind them together to perform what
they had begun, I thought good here to set down to
the view of all, how well their oath and deeds agreed :
and thus it was: — "You shall swear truth to God,
your prince and country : you shall do nothing, but to
the glory of God, and the good of the action in hand,
and harm to no man." This was the oath, without
adding or diminishing. I looked for more of these
companions (although these were too many), but there
came no more. It was dark, and they in a readiness
to put this deed of darkness in execution. I called to
Henry Greene and Wilson, and prayed them not to
go in hand with it in the dark, but to stay till the morn-
ing. Now, every man (I hoped) would go to his rest,
but wickedness sleepeth not ; for Henry Greene keepeth
the master company all night (and gave me bread,
which his cabin-mate gave him), and others are as
watchful as he. Then I asked Henry Greene, whom

Hudson. Last Voyage 99

he would put out with the master ? He said, the car-
penter, John King, and the sick men. I said, they should
not do well to part with the carpenter, what need
soever they should have. Why the carpenter was in
no more regard amongst them was, first, for that he
and John King were condemned for wrong done in
the victual; but the chiefest cause was, for that the
master loved him, and made him his mate upon his
return out of our wintering place, thereby displacing
Robert Bylot; whereat they did grudge, because he
could neither write nor read. And therefore (said they)
the master and his ignorant mate would carry the ship
whither the master pleased: the master forbidding
any man to keep account or reckoning, having taken
from all men whatsoever served for that purpose.
Well, I obtained of Henry Greene and Wilson that the
carpenter should stay, by whose means I hoped (after
they had satisfied themselves), that the master and
the poor man might be taken into the ship again. Or,
I hoped, that some one or other would give some notice,
either to the carpenter, John King, or the master ; for
so it might have come to pass by some of them, that
were the most forward.

Now, it shall not be amiss to show how we were
lodged ; and to begin in the cook room — there lay Bennet
and the cooper lame : without the cook room, on the
starboard side, lay Thomas Wydhouse sick; next to
him lay Sidrack Funer lame; then the surgeon, and
John Hudson with him ; next to them lay Wilson the
boatswain, ^and then Arnold Lodlo next to him: in
the gun-room lay Robert Juet and John Thomas ; on the
larboard side lay Michael Bute and Adria Moore, who
had never been well since we lost our anchor; next

7—2

I

100 Hudson. Last Voyage

to them lay Michael Perce and Andrew Moter. Next
to them, without the gun-room, lay John King, and
with him Robert Bylot; next to them myself, and
next to me Francis Clements. In the midship, between
the capstan and the pumps, lay Henry Greene and
Nicholas Simmes. This night John King was late
up, and they thought he had been with the master;
but he was with the carpenter, who lay on the poop,
and coming down from him was met by his cabin-mate,
as it were by chance, and so they came to their cabin
together. It was not long ere it was day : then came
Bennet for water for the kettle. He rose and went into
the hold. When he was in, they shut the hatch on him
(but who kept it down I know not) ; up upon the deck
went Bennet.

In the meantime Henry Greene and another went
to the carpenter, and held him with a talk, till the
master came out of his cabin (which he soon did);
then came John Thomas and Bennet before him,
while Wilson bound his arms behind him. He asked
them what they meant? They told him he should
know, when he was in the shallop. Now Juet, while
this was a doing, came to John King into the hold,
who was provided for him, for he had got a sword of
his own, and kept him at a bay, and might have killed
him, but others came to help him : and so he came up
to the master. The master called to the carpenter
and told him that he was bound, but I heard no answer
he made. Now Arnold Lodlo and Michael Bute
railed at them, and told them their knavery would
show itself. Then was the shallop haled up to the
ship side, and the poor, sick, and lame men were called
upon to get them out of their cabins into the shallop.

Hudson. Last Voyage 101

The master called to me, who came out of my cabin
as well as I could to the hatchway, to speak with him ;
where, on my knees I besought them, for the love of
God, to remember themselves, and to do as they would
be done unto. They bade me keep myself well, and
get me into my cabin, not suffering the master to
speak with me. But when I came into my cabin
again, he called to me at the horn, which gave light
into my cabin, and told me that Juet would over-
throw us all. "Nay" (said I), "it is that villain
Henry Greene," and I spake it not softly.

Now was the carpenter at liberty, who asked them
if they would be hanged, when they came home : and
as for himself, he said, he would not stay in the ship
unless they would force him : they bade him go then,
for they would not stay him. " I will " (said he), " so
I may have my chest, with me, and all that is in it."
They said he should, and presently they put it into
the shallop. Then he came down to me to take his
leave of me, who persuaded him to stay ; which if he
did, he might so work that all should be well. He said
he did not think, but they would be glad to take them
in again. For he was so persuaded by the master,
that there was not one in all the ship, that could tell
how to carry her home. " But " (saith he), " if we must
part, which we will not willingly do " (for they would
follow the ship), he prayed me, if we came to the capes
before them, that I would leave some token that we
had been there, near to the place where the fowls bred,
and he would do the like for us : and so (with tears)
we parted. Now were the sick men driven out of
their cabins into the shallop; but John Thomas was
Francis Clements 's friend, and Bennet was the cooper's,

102 Hudson. Last Voyage

so as there were words between them and Henry
Greene, one saying that they should go, and the
other swearing that they should not go, but such
as were in the shallop should return. When Henry
Greene heard that, he was compelled to give place, and
to put out Arnold Lodlo and Michael Bute, which
with much ado they did.

In the meantime, there were some of them that
plied their work, as if the ship had been entered by
force, and they had free leave to pillage, breaking up
chests and rifling all places. One of them came by
me, who asked me what the£ should do. I answered,
he should make an end of what he had begun ; for I
saw him do nothing but shark up and down. Now
were all the poor men in the shallop, whose names are
as followeth: Henry Hudson, John Hudson, Arnold
Lodlo, Sidrack Funer, Phillip Staffe, Thomas Wood-
house or Wydhouse, Adam Moore, Henry King.
Michael Bute. The carpenter got of them a piece,
and powder, and shot, and some pikes, an iron pot,
with some meal, and other things. They stood out of
the ice, the shallop being fast to the stern of the ship,
and so (when they were nigh out, for I cannot say
they were clean out) they cut her head fast from the
stern of our ship, then out with their top-sails, and
towards the east they stood in a clear sea. In the
end they took in their top-sails, righted their helm,
and lay under their foresail, till they had ransacked
and searched all places in the ship. In the hold they
found one of the vessels of meal whole, and the other
half spent (for we had but two). We found also two
firkins of butter, some twenty-seven pieces of pork,
half a bushel of peas; but in the master's cabin we

Hudson. Last Voyage 103

found two hundred of biscuit cakes, a peck of meal,
of beer to the quantity of a butt, one with another.
Now it was said that the shallop was come within
sight, they let fall the mainsail, and out with their
top-sails, and fly as from an enemy.

Then I prayed them yet to remember themselves;
but William Wilson (more than the rest) would hear
of no such matter. Coming nigh the east shore they
cast about, and stood to the west and came to an island,
and anchored in sixteen or seventeen fathom water.
So they sent the boat and the net ashore to see if they
could have a draught; but could not for rocks and
great stones. Michael Perce killed two fowl, and
here they found good store of that weed, which we
called cockle-grass in our wintering-place, whereof
they gathered store, and came aboard again. Here
we lay that night and the best part of the next day, in
all which time we saw not the shallop, or ever after.
Now Henry Greene came to me and told me, that it
was the company's will, that I should come up into
the master's cabin and take charge thereof. I told
him it was more fit for Robert Juet : he said he should
not come in it, nor meddle with the master's card or
journals. So up I came, and Henry Greene gave me
the key of the master's chest, and told me then that
he had laid the master's best things together, which
he would use himself, when time did serve : the bread
was also delivered me by tale.

The wind serving, we stood to the north-east, and
this was Robert Bylot's course, contrary to Robert
Juet, who would have gone to the north-west. We
had the eastern shore still in sight, and (in the night)
had a stout gale of wind, and stood afore it till we

104 Hudson. Last Voyage

met with ice, into the which we ran from thin to thick,
till we could go no further for ice,- which lay so thick
ahead of us (and the wind brought it after us astern),
that we could not stir backward nor forward; but so
lay embayed fourteen days in worse ice than ever we
met to deal withal, for we had been where there was
greater store, but it was not so broad upon the water
as this; for this floating ice contained miles and half
miles in compass, where we had a deep sea, and a tide
of flood and ebb, which set north-west and south-east.
Here Robert Juet would have gone to the north-west,
but Robert Bylot was confident to go through to the
north-east, which he did. At last, being clear of this ice,
he continued his course in sight of the eastern shore till
he raised four islands, which lay north and south ; but
we passed them six or seven leagues, the wind took us
so short. Then we stood back to them again, and
came to an anchor between two of the most norther-
most. We sent the boat ashore, to see if there were
anything there to be had, but found nothing but
cockle-grass, whereof they gathered store, and so
returned aboard. Before we came to this place, I
might well see that I was kept in the ship against
Henry Greene's mind, because I did not favour their
proceedings better than I did. Then he began (very
subtly) to draw me to take upon me to search for
those things, which himself had stolen: and accused
me of a matter no less than treason amongst us, that
I had deceived the company of thirty cakes of bread.
Now they began to talk amongst themselves, that
England was no safe place for them, and Henry Greene
swore the ship should not come into any place (but
keep the sea still), till he had the King's Majesty's hand

Hudson. Last Voyage 105

and seal to show for his safety. They had many devices
in their heads, but Henry Greene in the end was their
captain, and so called of them.

From these islands we stood to the north-east and
the easter land still in sight : we raised those islands,
that our master called Rumney's Islands. Between
these islands and the shallow ground to the east of
them, our master went down into the first great bay.
We kept the east shore still in our sight, and coming
thwart of the low land, we ran on a rock that lay under
water, and struck but once; for if she had, we might
have been made inhabitants of that place; but God
sent us soon off without any harm that we saw. We
continued our course and raised land ahead of us,
which stretched out to the north. Which when they
saw, they said plainly that Robert Bylot by his
northerly course had left the capes to the south, and
that they were best to seek down to the south in time
for relief, before all was gone ; for we had small store
left. But Robert Bylot would follow the land to the
north, saying that he hoped in God to find somewhat
to relieve us that way, as soon as to the south. I told
them that this land was the main of Wolstenholme
Cape, and that the shallow rocky ground was the same
that the master went down by, when he went into the
great bay. Robert Juet and all said it was not possible,
unless the master had brought the ship over land, and
willed them to look into the master's card and their
course, how well they did agree. We stood to the east
and left the mainland to the north, by many small
islands into a narrow gut between two lands, and there
came to an anchor. The boat went ashore on the
north side, where we found the great horn, but nothing

106 Hudson'. Last Voyage

else. The next day we went to the south side, but
found nothing there save cockle-grass, of which we
gathered. This grass was a great relief unto us, for
without it we should hardly have got to the capes
for want of victual. The wind serving, we stood out,
but before we could get clean out, the wind came to
the west, so that we were constrained to anchor on
the north side.

The next day we weighed and doubled the point
of the north land, which is high land, and so con-
tinued to the capes, lyinf north and south, some five-
and-twenty or thirty leagues. To the north we stood,
to see store of those fowls, that breed in the capes, and
to kill some with our shot, and to fetch them with our
boat. We raised the capes with joy and bare for them,
and came to the islands that lie in the mouth of the
strait; but bearing in between the rocky isles, we
ran on a rock that lay under water, and there stuck
fast eight or nine hours. It was ebbing water when
we thus came on, so the flood set us afloat, God guiding
both wind and sea, that it was calm and fair weather :
the ebb came from the east, and the flood from the
west. When we were afloat we stood more near to
the east shore, and there anchored.

The next day, being the seven and twentieth of
July, we sent the boat to fetch some fowl, and the ship
should weigh and stand as near as they could ; for the
wind was against us. They had a great way to row,
and by that means they could not reach to the place
where the fowl bred; but found good store of gulls,
yet hard to come by, on the rocks and cliffs ; but with
their pieces they killed some thirty, and towards night
returned. Now we had brought our ship more near

Hudson. Last Voyage 107

to the mouth of the straits, and there came to an anchor
in eighteen or twenty fathom water, upon a reef or
shelf of ground. Which after they had weighed their
anchor, and stood more near to the place where the
fowl bred, they could not find it again, nor no place
like it : but were fain to turn to and fro in the mouth
of the strait, and to be in danger of rocks, because
they could not find ground to let fall an anchor in,
the water was so deep.

The eight and twentieth day, the boat went to
Digges's Cape for fowl, and made directly for the
place where the fowl bred, and being near, they saw
seven boats come about the eastern point towards
them. When the savages saw our boat, they drew
themselves together, and drew their lesser boats into
their bigger: and when they had done, they came
rowing to our boat, and made signs to the west, but
they made ready for all assays. The savages came
to them, and by signs grew familiar one with another,
so as our men took one of theirs into our boat, and
they took one of ours into their boat. Then they
carried our man to a cove where their tents stood,
toward the west of the place where the fowl bred : so
they carried him into their tents, where he remained
till our men returned with theirs. Our boat went to
the place where the fowl bred, and were desirous to
know how the savages killed their fowl. He showed
them the manner how, which was thus : they take a
long pole with a snare at the end, which they put about
the fowl's neck, and so pluck them down. When our
men knew that they had a better way of their own,
they showed him the use of our pieces, which at one
shot would kill seven or eight. To be short, our boat

108 Hudson. Last Voyage

returned to their cove for our man and to deliver theirs.
When they came, they made great joy, with dancing,
and leaping, and stroking of their breasts: they
offered divers things to our men, but they only took
some morses' teeth, which they gave them for a knife
and two glass buttons : and so, receiving our man, they
came aboard, much rejoicing at this chance, as if
they had met with the most simple and kind people
of the world.

And Henry Greene (more than the rest) was so
confident, that by no means we should take care to
stand on our guard : God blinding him so, that where
he made reckoning to receive great matters from these
people, he received more than he looked for, and that
suddenly, by being made a good example for all men,
that make no conscience of doing evil ; and that we
take heed of the savage people, how simple soever
they seem to be.

The next day, the nine and twentieth of July, they
made haste to be ashore, and because the ship rid
too far off, they weighed and stood as near to the place
where the fowl bred, as they could ; and because I was
lame, I was to go in the boat, to carry such things as
I had in the cabin, of everything somewhat \ and so.
with more haste than good speed (and not without
swearing), away we went, Henry Greene, William
Wilson, John Thomas, Michael Perce, Andrew Moter,
and myself. When we came near the shore, the people
were on the hills dancing and leaping: to the cove
we came, where they had drawn up their boats: we
brought our boat to the east side of the cove, close
to the rocks. Ashore they went, and made fast the
boat to a great stone on the shore. The people came,

Hudson. Last Voyage 109

and every one had somewhat in his hand to barter;
but Henry Greene swore they should have nothing
till he had venison, for that they had so promised him
by signs.

Now when we came, they made signs to their dogs
(whereof there were many like mongrels, as big as
hounds), and pointed to their mountain and to the
sun, clapping their hands. Then Henry Greene, John
Thomas, and William Wilson stood hard by the boat
head ; Michael Perce and Andrew Moter were got up
upon the rock a gathering of sorrel. Not one of them
had any weapon about him, not so much as a stick,
save Henry Greene only, who had a piece of a pike in his
hand : nor saw I anything, that they had, wherewith to
hurt us. Henry Greene and William Wilson had looking-
glasses, and Jews' trumps, and bells, which they were
showing the people. The savages standing round
about them, one of them came into the boat's head
to me to show me a bottle : I made signs to him to
get him ashore, but he made as though he had not
understood me, whereupon I stood up and pointed
him ashore. In the meantime another stole behind
me to the stern of the boat, and when I saw him
ashore, that was in the head of the boat, I sat down
again ; but suddenly I saw the leg and foot of a man by
me. Wherefore I cast up my" head, and saw the savage
with his knife in his hand, who struck at my breast
over my head : I cast up my right arm to save my
breast; he wounded my arm, and struck me into the
body under my right pap. He struck a second blow,
which I met with my left hand, and then he struck
me into the right thigh, and had like to have cut off
my little finger of the left hand. Now I had got hold

110 Hudson. Last Voyage

of the string of the knife, and had wound it about my
left hand, he striving with both his hands to make
an end of that he had begun : I found him but weak
in the grip (God enabling me), and getting hold of
the sleeve of his left arm, so bare him from me. His
left side lay bare to me, which when I saw, I put his
sleeve off his left arm into my left hand, holding the
string of the knife fast in the same hand; and having
got my right hand at liberty, I sought for somewhat
wherewith to strike him (not remembering my dagger
at my side), but looking down I saw it, and therewith
struck him into the body and the throat.

Whiles I was thus assaulted in the boat, our men
were set upon on the shore. John Thomas and
William Wilson had their bowels cut, and Michael
Perce and Henry Greene, being mortally wounded,
came tumbling into the boat together. When Andrew
Moter saw this medley, he came running down the
rocks, and leaped into the sea, and so swam to the boat,
hanging on the stern thereof, till Michael Perce took
him in, who manfully made good the head of the boat
against the savages, that pressed sore upon us. Now
Michael Perce had got an hatchet, wherewith I saw
him strike one of them, that he lay sprawling in the
sea. Henry Greene crieth " Cor agio" and layeth about
him with his truncheon, I cried to them to clear the
boat, and Andrew Moter cried to be taken in. The
savages betook them to their bows and arrows, which
they sent amongst us, wherewith Henry Greene was
slain outright, and Michael Perce received many wounds,
and so did the rest. Michael Perce cleareth the boat,
and puts it from the shore, and helpeth Andrew Moter
in ; but in turning of the boat I received a cruel wound

Hudson. Last Voyage 111

in my back with an arrow. Michael Perce and Andrew
Moter rowed the boat away ; which when the savages
saw, they ran to their boats, and I feared they would
have launched them to have followed us, but they did
not, and our ship was in the middle of the channel
and could not see us. .

Now when they had rowed a good way from the
shore, Michael Perce fainted, and could row no more.
Then was Andrew Moter driven to stand in the boat
head, and waft to the ship, which at the first saw us
not, and when they did, they could not tell what to
make of us ; but in the end they stood for us, and so
took us up. Henry Greene was thrown out of the boat
into the sea, and the rest were had aboard, the savage
being yet alive, yet without sense. But they died
all there that day, William Wilson swearing and cursing
in most fearful manner. Michael Perce lived two
days after, and then died. Thus you have heard the
tragical end of Henry Greene and his mates, whom
they called captain, these four being the only lusty
men in all the ship.

The poor number, that was left, were to ply our
ship to and fro in the mouth of the strait; for there
was no place to anchor in near hand. Besides, they
were to go in the boat to kill fowl to bring us home,
which they did, although with danger to us all. For
if the wind blew, there was an high sea, and the eddies
of the tides would carry the ship so near the rocks, as
it feared our master, for so I will now call him. After
they had killed some two hundred fowl, with great
labour, on the south cape, we stood to the east ; but
when we were six or seven leagues from the capes, the
wind came up at east. Then we stood back to the

112 Hudson. Last Voyage

capes again, and killed an hundred fowl more. After
this the wind came to the west, so we were driven to
go away, and then our master stood (for the most)
along by the north shore, till he fell into broken ground
about the Queen's Foreland, and there anchored.
From thence we went to God's Mercies, and from thence
to those islands, which he in the mouth of our strait,
not seeing the land till we were ready to run our bow-
sprit against the rocks in a fog. But it cleared a little,
and then we might see ourselves enclosed with rocky
islands, and could find no ground to anchor in. There
our master lay a-try all night, and the next day, the
fog continuing, they sought for ground to anchor in,
and found some in an hundred and odd fathoms of
water. The next day we weighed and stood to the
east, but before we came here, we had put ourselves
to hard allowance, as half a fowl a day with the pottage ;
for yet we had some meal left, and nothing else. Then
they began to make trial of all whatsoever. We had
flayed our fowl, for they will not pull ; and Robert
Juet was the first that made use of the skins by burning
of the feathers : so they became a great dish of meat,
and as for the garbage, it was not thrown away.

After we were clear of these islands, which lie out
with two points, one to the south-east and the other
to the north, making a bay to the sight, as if there
were no way through, we continued our course east-
south-east and south and by east, to raise the Desola-
tions, from thence to shape our course for Ireland.
Thus we continued divers days ; but the wind, coming
against us, made us to alter our course, and by the means
of Robert Juet, who persuaded the company that
they should find great relief in Newfoundland, if our

Hudson. Last Voyage 113

countrymen were there, and if they were gone before we
came, yet should we find great store of bread and fish
left ashore by them ; but how true, I give God thanks
we did not try. Yet we stood to the south-west and
to the west, almost to fifty-seven degrees ; when (by
the will of God) the wind came up at south-west.
Then the master asked me, if he should take the benefit
of this wind, and shape his course for Ireland. I said
it was best to go, where we knew corn grew, and not to
seek it, where it was cast away and not to be found.
Towards Ireland now we stood, with prosperous winds
for many days together. Then was all our meal spent,
and our fowl reasty and dry; but (being no remedy)
we were content with the salt broth for dinner and the
half fowl for supper. Now went our candles to wrack,
and Bennet, our cook, made a mess of meat of the bones
of the fowl, frying them with candle grease till they
were crisp, and, with vinegar put to them, made a
good dish of meat. Our vinegar was shared, and to
every man a pound of candles delivered for a week,
as a great dainty. Now Robert Juet (by his reckoning)
saith we were within sixty or seventy leagues of Ireland,
when we had two hundred thither. And sure our
course was so much the longer through our evil steerage ;
for our men became so weak, that they could not stand
at the helm, but were fain to sit.

Then Robert Juet died for mere want, and all our
men were in despair, and said we were past Ireland,
and our last fowl were in the steep- tub. So our men
cared not which end went forward, insomuch as our
master was driven to look to their labour, as well as
his own j for some of them would sit and see the fore-
sail or mainsail fly up to the tops, the sheets being

a. p. 8

114 Hudson. Last Voyage

either flown or broken, and would not help it them-
selves, nor call to others for help, which much grieved
the master. Now in this extremity it pleased God
to give us sight of land, not far from the place our
master said he would fall withal, which was the
bay of Gal way, and we fell to the west of the Durseys,
and so stood along by the coast to the south-west. In
the end there was a joyful cry, "A sail, a sail," towards
which they stood. Then they saw more, but to the
nearest we stood, and called to him; his bark was of
Fowey, and was at anchor a fishing. He came to us,
and brought us into Bere Haven. From Bere Haven
we came to Plymouth, and so to an anchor before the
castle ; and from Plymouth,, with fair wind and weather,
without stop or stay we came to the Downs ; from
thence to Gravesend, where most of our men went
ashore, and from thence came on this side Erith, and
there stopped. Where our master Robert Bylot came
aboard, and so had me up to London with him, and so
we came to Sir Thomas Smith's together.

William Barents
Reproduced, by kind permission of the publisher, from Dr A D. de
Vries's Oud-Holland (Binger, 1882). Originally a vignette in a chart
published in Amsterdam between 1613 and 1615.

8—2

WILLIAM BARENTS

The Third Voyage northward to the
Kingdoms of Cathaia and China, in
anno 1596

(By Gerrit de Veer)

In the beginning of this year, there was two ships
rigged and set forth by the town of Amsterdam, to sail
that voyage. In the one, Jacob Heemskerck Hen-
drickson was master and factor for the wares and
merchandise, and William Barents chief pilot. In
the other, John Cornelison Rijp was both master and
factor for the goods, that the merchants had laden in
her.

The 5 of May all the men in both the ships were
mustered, and upon the tenth of May they sailed from
Amsterdam.

The first of June we had no night, and the second
of June we had the wind contrary; but upon the
fourth of June we had a good wind out of the west-
north-west, and sailed north-east.

And when the sun was about south-south-east (half-
past 9 a.m.), we saw a strange sight in the element : for
on each side of the sun there was another sun, and two
rainbows that passed clean through the three suns, and
then two rainbows more, the one compassing round
about the suns, and the other cross through the great

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 117

roundel ; the great roundel standing with the uttermost
point elevated above the horizon 28 degrees.

The fifth of June we saw the first ice, which we
wondered at, at the first thinking that it had been
white swans ; for one of our men walking in the fore-
deck on a sudden began to cry out with a loud voice,
and said that he saw white swans : which we that were

A wonder in the heavens, and how we caught a bear

under hatches hearing, presently came up, and perceived
that it was ice, that came driving from the great heap,
showing like swans, it being then about evening.

The ninth of June we found the island, that lay
under 74 degrees and 30 minutes.

The 12 of June, in the morning, we saw a white
bear, which we rowed after with our boat, thinking to

118 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

cast a rope about her neck; but when we were near
her, she was so great that we durst not do it, but
rowed back again to our ship, to fetch more men and
our arms, and so made to her again with muskets,
arquebuses, halberts, and hatchets, John Cornelison's
men coming also with their boat to help us. And so
being well furnished of men and weapons, we rowed
with both our boats unto the bear, and fought with
her, while four glasses were run out, for our weapons
could do her little hurt; and amongst the rest of the
blows that we gave her, one of our men struck her into
the back with an axe, which stuck fast in her back,
and yet she swam away with it; but we rowed after
her, and at last we cut her head in sunder with an
axe, wherewith she died. And then we brought her
into John Cornelison's ship, where we flayed her,
and found her skin to be twelve foot long. Which
done, we ate some of her flesh; but we brooked it not
well. This island we called the Bear Island.

The 13 of June we left the island, and sailed north
and somewhat easterly.

The 19 of June we saw land again. This land was
very great, and we sailed westward along by it.

The 21 of June we cast out our anchor at 18
fathom before the land; and then we and John
Cornelison's men rode on the west side of the land,
and there fetched ballast : and when we got on board
again with our ballast, we saw a white bear, that swam
towards our ship. Whereupon we left off our work,
and entering into the boat with John Cornelison's
men, rowed after her, and crossing her in the way,
drove her from the land ; wherewith she swam further
into the sea, and we followed her. And for that our

120 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

boat could not make way after her, we manned out
our scute also, the better to follow her : but she swam
four miles into the sea; yet we followed her with the
most part of all our men of both ships in three boats,
and struck oftentimes at her, cutting and hewing her,
so that all our arms were most broken in pieces. During
our fight with her, she struck her claws so hard in our

How a bear came unto our boat, and what took place with him

boat, that the signs thereof were seen in it; but as
hap was, it was in the forehead of our boat : for if it
had been in the middle thereof, she had (perad venture)
overthrown it, they have such force in their claws. At
last, after we had fought long with her, and made her
weary with our three boats, that kept about her, we
overcame her, and killed her : which done, we brought

William. Barents. Third Voyage Northward 121

her into our ship, and flayed her, her skin being 13 foot
long.

After that, we rowed with our scute about four miles
inward to the land, where there was a good haven and
good anchor ground, on the east side being sandy.
There we cast out our lead, and found 16 fathom deep,
and after that 10 and 12 fathom; and rowing further,
we found that on the east side there was two islands,
that reached eastward into the sea: on the west side
also there was a great creek or river, which shewed
also like an island. Then we rowed to the island, that
lay in the middle, and . there we found many brent
geese, which we saw sitting upon their nests, and drave
them from them, and they flying away cried : " Rot,
rot, rot." And as they sat, we killed one goose dead
with a stone, which we dressed and ate., and at least
60 eggs, that we took with us aboard the ship; and
upon the 22 of June we went aboard our ship again.

Those geese were true brent geese, such as come
into Holland about Wieringen, and every year are
there taken in abundance, but till this time it was
never known, where they laid and hatched their eggs ;
so that some men have taken upon them to write
that they grow upon trees in Scotland, that hang over
the water, and the fruits, which fall from them down
into the water, become young geese and swim away;
but those, that fall upon the land, burst in sunder
and are lost. But this is now found to be contrary,
and it is not to be wondered at, that no man could
tell where they breed their eggs, for that no man, that
ever we knew, had ever been under 80 degrees, nor
that land under 80 degrees was never set down in any
card, much less the brent geese that breed therein. •

122 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The first of July we saw the Bear Island again, and
then John Cornelison and his officers came aboard of
our ship, to speak with us about altering of our course ;
but we being of a contrary opinion, it was agreed that
we should follow on our course, and he his : which was,
that he (according to his desire) should sail unto 80
degrees again; for he was of opinion, that there he
should find a passage through, on the east side of the
land, that lay under 80 degrees. And upon that agree-
ment we left each other, they sailing northward, and
we southward because of the ice, the wind being east-
south-east.

The second of July we sailed eastward, and on
the 17 we saw the land of Nova Zembla. Then we
altered our course, and sailed north-east and by north,
and on the 19 we came to the Cross Island. There
stood two crosses upon the land, whereof it had the
name.

The twentieth of July we anchored under the island,
for we could get no further for the ice. There we put
out our boat, and with eight men rowed on land, and
went to one of the crosses, where we rested us awhile,
to go to the next cross ; but being in the way we saw
two bears by the other cross, at which time we had no
weapons at all about us. The bears rose up upon their
hinder feet to see us (for they smell further than they
see), and for that they smelt us, therefore they rose
upright and came towards us, wherewith we were not
a little abashed, in such sort that we had little lust to
laugh, and in all haste went to our boat again, still
looking behind us to see if they followed us, thinking
to get into the boat, and so put off from the land : but
the master stayed us, saying, " He that first begins to

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 123

run away, I will thrust this boat-hook " (which he
then held in his hand) "into his ribs, for it is better
for us " (said he), " to stay all together, and see if we
can make them afraid with whooping and holloaing."
And so we went softly towards the boat, and got away

co Orange LslaiiijSfK- 7^"

B AREHTS
SEA

Matfloe. fr ^*X V

Map of Novaya Zemlya, showing entrances to Kara Sea

glad that we had escaped their claws, and that we
had the leisure to tell our fellows thereof.

The 5 of August we set sail again towards Ice
Point, and on the 7 we had a west-south-west wind,
and sailed along by the land, south-east and south-east

124 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

and by east, and saw but a little ice, and then passed
by Cape Comfort, which we had much longed for.

The 16 of August ten of our men entering into
one boat, rowed to the firm land at Nova Zembla, and
drew the boat up upon the ice; which done, we went
up a high hill to see the situation of the land, and found
that it reached south-east and south-south-east, and
then again south, which we disliked, for that it lay so
much southward : but when we saw open water south-
east and east-south-east, we were much comforted
again, thinking that we had won our voyage, and
knew not how we should get soon enough on board,
to certify William Barents thereof.

The 19 of August it was indifferent good weather,
the wind blowing south-west, the ice still driving, and
we set sail with an indifferent gale of wind, and passed
by Cape Desire, whereby we were once again in good
hope.

The 26 of August there blew a reasonable gale
of wind, at which time we determined to sail back
to Cape Desire, and so home again, seeing that we
could not get through by the way towards the Wey-
gats, although we used all the means and industry we
could, to get forward ; but when we had passed by the
Ice Haven, the ice began to drive with such force, that
we were enclosed round about therewith, and yet we
sought all the means we could to get out, but it was
all in vain. And at that time we had like to have lost
three men, that were upon the ice to make way for the
ship, if the ice had held the course it went ; but as we
drove back again, and that the ice also, whereon our
men stood, in like sort drove, they being nimble, as
the ship drove by them, one of them caught hold of

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 125

the beak head, another upon the shrouds, and the
third upon the great brace that hung out behind, and
so by great adventure, by the hold that they took, they
got safe into the ship again, for which they thanked
God with all their hearts: for it was much likelier
that they should rather have been carried away with
the ice, but God, by the nimbleness of their hands,

How our ship stuck fast in the ice, whereby three of us were
nearly lost

delivered them out of that danger, which was a pitiful
thing to behold, although it fell out for the best,
for if they had not been nimble, they had surely died
for it.

The same day in the evening we got to the west
side of the Ice Haven, where we were forced, in great

126 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

cold, poverty, misery, and grief, to stay all that winter ;
the wind being then east north-east.

The 27 of August the ice drove round about the
ship, and yet it was good weather; at which time we
went on land, and being there, it began to blow south-
east with a reasonable gale, and then the ice came with
great force before the bow, and drove the ship up four

How the ice heaved up the fore part of our ship

foot high before, and behind it seemed as if the keel
lay on the ground, so that it seemed that the ship
would be overthrown in the place. Whereupon they
that were in the ship put out the boat, therewith to
save their lives, and withal put out a flag, to make
a sign to us to come on board: which we perceiving,
and beholding the ship to be lifted up in that sort,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 127

made all the haste we could to get on board, thinking
that the ship was burst in pieces, but coming unto it,
we found it to be in better case, than we thought it had
been.

The 28 of August we got some of the ice from it,
and the ship began to sit upright again; but before
it was fully upright, as William Barents and the other
pilot went forward to the bow, to see how the ship
.lay, and how much it was risen, and while they were
busy upon their knees and elbows to measure how
much it was, the ship burst out of the ice with such a
noise and so great a crack, that they thought verily
that they were all cast away, knowing not how to save
themselves.

The 29 of August, the ship lying upright again, we
used all the means we could, with iron crowbars and
other instruments, to break the flakes of ice that lay
one heaped upon the other, but all in vain • so that we
determined to commit ourselves to the mercy of God,
and to attend aid from him, for that the ice drove not
away in any such sort, that it could help us.

The 30 of August the ice began to drive together
one upon the other with greater force than before,
and bare against the ship with a boisterous south-west
wind and a great snow, so that all the whole ship was
borne up and enclosed, whereby all that was both
about and in it began to crack, so that it seemed to
burst in a hundred pieces, which was most fearful
both to see and hear, and made all the hair of our heads
to rise upright with fear; and after that, the ship
(by the ice on both sides, that joined and got under the
same) was driven so upright, in such sort as if it had
been lifted up with a wrench or vice.

128 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 5 of September it was fair sunshine weather
and very calm; and at evening, when we had supped,
the ice compassed about us again, and we were hard
enclosed therewith, the ship beginning to lie upon the
one side and suffered much, but by God's grace it still
remained tight, wherewith we were wholly in fear to
lose the ship, it was in so great danger. At which
time we took counsel together, and carried our old
foresail, with powder, lead, pieces, muskets, and other
furniture on land, to make a tent or hut about our
scute, that we had drawn upon the land ; and at that
time we carried some bread and wine on land also,
with some carpenter's tools, therewith to mend our
boat, that it might serve us in time of need.

The 6 of September it was indifferent fair sea-
weather and sunshine, the wind being west, whereby
we were somewhat comforted, hoping that the ice
would drive away, and that we might get from thence
again.

The 7 of September it was indifferent weather
again, but we perceived no opening of the water, but
to the contrary we lay hard enclosed with ice, and no
water at all about the ship, no, not so much as a bucket-
ful. The same day five of our men went on land,
but two of them came back again; the other three
went forward about eight miles into the land, and there
found a river of sweet water, where also they found
great store of wood, that had been driven thither, and
there they found the footsteps of harts and hinds, as
they thought, for they were cloven footed, some greater
footed than others, which made them judge them to
be so.

The 11 of September it was calm weather, and

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 129

eight of us went on land, every man armed, to see if
that were true, as our other three companions had said,
that there lay wood about the river; for that seeing
we had so long wound and turned about, sometime in
the ice and then again got out, and thereby were
compelled to alter our course, and at last saw that we
could not get out of the ice, but rather became faster,
and could not loose our ship as at other times we had
done, as also that it began to be near autumn and
winter, we took counsel together what we were best to
do according to the time, that we might winter there
and attend such adventure as God would send us. And
after we had debated upon the matter, to keep and
defend ourselves both from the cold and the wild beasts,
we determined to build a shed or house upon the land,
to keep us therein as well as we could, and so to commit
ourselves unto the tuition of God. And to that end we
went further into the land, to find out the convenientest
place in our opinions to raise our house upon, and yet
we had not much stuff to make it withal, in regard
that there grew no trees, nor any other thing in that
country convenient to build it withal. But we leaving
no occasion unsought, as our men went abroad to
view the country, and to see what good fortune might
happen unto us, at last we found an unexpected
comfort in our need, which was that we found certain
trees, roots and all, (as our three companions had said
before), which had been driven upon the shore, either
from Tartaria, Muscovia, or elsewhere; for there was
none growing upon that land. Wherewith (as if God
had purposely sent them unto us) we were much com-
forted, being in good hope that God would show us
some further favour; for that wood served us not

a. p. . 9

130 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

only to build our house, but also to burn and serve us
all the winter long; otherwise without all doubt we
had died there miserably with extreme cold.

The 15 of September, in the morning, as one of
our men held watch, we saw three bears, whereof the
one lay still behind a piece of ice, and the other two
came close to the ship, which we perceiving, made our
pieces ready to shoot at them; at which time there
stood a tub full of meat upon the ice, which lay upon
the ice, to freshen, for that close by the ship there
was no water. One of the bears went unto it, and put
in his head to take out a piece of the meat, but she
fared therewith as the dog did with the pudding; for
as she was snatching at the beef she was shot into the
head, wherewith she fell down dead and never stirred.
The other bear stood still, and looked upon her fellow ;
and when she had stood a good while, she smelt her
fellow, and perceiving that she was dead, she ran
away, but we took halberts and other arms with us
and followed her. And at last she came again towards
us, and we prepared ourselves to withstand her,
wherewith she rose up upon her hinder feet, thinking
to ramp at us; but while she reared herself up, one
of our men shot her into the belly, and with that she
fell upon her fore-feet again, and roaring as loud as
she could, ran away.

The 17 of September thirteen of us went where
the wood lay with our sleds, and so drew five and five
in a sled, and the other three helped to lift the wood
behind, to make us draw the better and with more ease ;
and in that manner we drew wood twice a day, and
laid it on a heap by the place where we meant to build
our house.

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 131

The 25 of September we raised up the principals
of our house, and began to work hard thereon.

The 26 of September we had a west wind and
an open sea, but bur ship lay fast, wherewith we were
not a little griered; but it was God's will, which we
must patiently bear, and we began to make up our
house: part of our men fetched wood to burn, the

How we built a house of wood, wherein to keep ourselves
through the winter

rest played the carpenters and were busy about the
house. As then we were sixteen men in all, for our
carpenter was dead, and of our sixteen men there was
still one or other sick.

The 27th of September it blew hard north-east, and
it froze so hard that, as we put a nail into our mouths

9—2

132 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

(as, when men work carpenters' work, they use to do),
there would ice hang thereon when we took it out again,
and make the blood follow. The same day there came
an old bear and a young one towards us as we were
going to our house, being all together (for we durst not
go alone), which we thought to shoot at, but she ran
away.

The 29 of September, in the morning, the wind
was west, and after noon it blew east, and then we
saw three bears between us and the house, an old one
and two young; but we notwithstanding drew our
goods from the ship to the house, and so got before
the bears, and yet they followed us. Nevertheless we
would not shun the way for them, but holloaed out
as loud as we could, thinking that they would have
gone away; but they would not once go out of their
footpath, but got before us, wherewith we and they
that were at the house made a great noise, which made
the bears run away, and we were not a little glad thereof.

The 5 of October we brake up the lower deck of
the fore-part of our ship, and with those deals we covered
our house, and made it slope overhead that the water
might run off.

The 8 of October, all the night before it blew so
hard and the same day also, and snowed so fast that
we should have smothered, if we had gone out into the
air; and to speak truth, it had not -been possible for
any man to have gone one ship's length, though his
life had lain thereon; for it was not possible for us
to go out of the house or ship.

The 11 of October it was calm weather, the wind
being south and somewhat warm, and then we carried
our wine and other victuals on land; and as we were

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 133

hoising the wine overboard, there came a bear towards
our ship that had lain behind a piece of ice, and it
seemed that we had waked her with the noise we made ;
for we had seen her lie there, but we thought her to
be a piece of ice ; but as she came near us, we shot at
her, and she ran away, so we proceeded in our work.

The 12 of October it blew north and somewhat
westerly, and then half of our men slept in the house,
and that was the first time that we lay in it; but we
endured great cold because our cabins were not made,
and besides that we had not clothes enough, and we
could keep no fire, because our chimney was not made,
whereby it smoked exceedingly.

The 19 of October the wind blew north-east, and
then there was but two men and a boy in the ship, at
which time there came a bear that sought forcibly to
get into the ship, although the two men shot at her
with pieces of wood, and yet she ventured upon them,
whereby they were in an extreme fear; and each of
them seeking to save themselves, the two men leapt
into the hold, and the boy climbed up the fore -rigging
to save their lives. Meantime some of our men shot
at her with a musket, and then she ran away.

The 20 of October it was calm sunshine weather,
and then again we saw some open places of water in
the sea, at which time we went on board to fetch the
rest of our beer out of the ship, where we found some
of the barrels frozen in pieces, and the iron hoops
that were upon the spruce-beer barrels were also
frozen in pieces.

The 21 of October it was calm sunshine weather,
and then we had almost fetched all our victuals out
of the ship.

134 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 24 of October we drew our boat home to
our house, and turned the bottom thereof upwards,
that, when time served us (if God saved our lives in the
winter time), we might use it. And after that, per-
ceiving that the ship lay fast and that there was nothing
less to be expected than the opening of the water,
we put our anchor into the ship again, because it
should not be covered over and lost in the snow, that
in the spring time we might use it : for we always trusted
in God that he would deliver us from thence towards
summer time either one way or other.

Things standing at this point with us, as the sun
(when we might see it best and highest) began to be
very low, we used all the speed we could to fetch all
things with sleds out of our ship into our house, not
only meat and drink, but all other necessaries; at
which time the wind was north.

The 26 of October we fetched all things that were
necessary for the furnishing of our scute and our boat ;
and when we had laden the last sled, and stood ready
to draw it to the house, our master looked about him
and saw three bears behind the ship, that were coming
towards us, whereupon he cried out aloud to fear them
away, and we presently leaped forth to defend ourselves
as well as we could. And as good fortune was, there
lay two halberds upon the sled, whereof the master
took one, and I the other, and made resistance against
them as well as we could ; but the rest of our men ran
to save themselves in the ship, and as they ran, one of
them fell into a cleft of ice, which grieved us much,
for we thought verily that the bears would have ran
unto him to devour him; but God defended him, for
the bears still made towards the ship after the men,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 135

that ran thither to save themselves. Meantime we
and the man that fell into the cleft of ice took our ad-
vantage, and got into the ship on the other side ; which
the bears perceiving, they came fiercely towards us,
that had no other arms to defend us withal but only
the two halberds, which we doubting would not be
sufficient, we still gave them work to do by throwing
billets of firewood and other things at them, and
every time we threw, they ran after them, as a dog
useth to do at a stone that is cast at him. Meantime
we sent a man down under hatches to strike fire, and
another to fetch pikes; 'but we could get no fire, and
so we had no means to shoot. At the last, as the bears
came fiercely upon us, we struck one of them with a
halberd upon the snout, wherewith she gave back
when she felt herself hurt, and went away, which the
other two, that were not so great as she, perceiving, ran
away; and we thanked God that we were so well
delivered from them, and so drew our sled quietly to
our house, and there showed our men what had hap-
pened unto us.

The 26 of October the wind was north and north-
north-west, with indifferent fair weather. Then we
saw open water hard by the land, but we perceived
the ice to drive in the sea still towards the ship.

The 27 of October the wind blew north-east, and
it snowed so fast that we could not work without the
door. That day our men killed a white fox, which
they flayed, and after they had roasted it, ate thereof,
which tasted like coney's flesh. The same day we set
up our dial and made the clock strike, and we hung up a
lamp to burn in the night time, wherein we used the fat
of the bear, which we melted and burnt in the lamp.

136 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 3 of November the wind blew north-west
with calm weather, and the sun rose south and by
east and somewhat more southerly, and went down
south and by west and somewhat more southerly;
and then we could see nothing but the upper part of
the sun above the horizon, and yet the land, where we
were, was as high as the mast of our ship.

The 4 of November it was calm weather, but then
we saw the sun no more, for it was no longer above
the horizon. Then our chirurgeon made a bath, to
bathe us in, of a wine pipe, wherein we entered one after
the other, and it did us much good and was a great
means of our health. The same day we took a white
fox, that oftentimes came abroad, not as they used
at other times ; for that when the bears left us at the
setting of the sun, and came not again before it rose,
the foxes, to the contrary, came abroad when they were
gone.

The 5 of November the wind was north and some-
what west, and then we saw open water upon the sea,
but our ship lay still fast in the ice ; and when the sun
had left us, we saw the moon continually both day and
night, and it never went down, when it was in the
highest degree.

The 11 of November it was indifferent weather,
the wind north-west. The same day we made a
round hoop of cable yarn and like to a net, to catch
foxes withal, that we might get them into the house,
and it was made like a trap, which fell upon the
foxes as they came under it ; and that day we caught
one.

The 12 of November the wind blew east, with
a cloudy sky. That day we began to share our wine ;

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 137

every man had two glasses a day, but commonly our
drink was water, which we melted out of snow, which
we gathered without the house.

The 13 of November it was foul weather, with
great snow, the wind east.

The 20 of November it was fair still weather, the
wind easterly. Then we washed our shirts, but it
was so cold that, when we had washed and wrung them,
they presently froze so stiff that, although we laid
them by a great fire, the side that lay next the fire
thawed, but the other side was hard frozen; so that
we should sooner have torn them in sunder than
have opened them, whereby we were forced to put
them into the seething water again to thaw them, it
was so exceeding cold.

The 21 of November it was indifferent weather
with a north-east wind. Then we agreed that every
man should take his turn .to cleave wood, thereby to
ease our cook, that had more than work enough to do
twice a day, to dress meat and to melt snow for our
drink; but our master and the pilot were exempted
from that work.

The 22 of November the wind was south-east,
and it was fair weather; then we had but seventeen
cheeses, whereof one we ate amongst us, and the rest
were divided to every man one for his portion, which
they might eat when he list.

The 23 of November it was indifferent good
weather, the wind south-east, and as we perceived that
the foxes used to come oftener and more than they
were wont, to take them the better we made certain
traps of thick planks, whereon we laid stones, and
round about them placed ends of spars fast in the

138 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

ground, that they might not dig under them; and so
got some of the foxes.

The 28 of November it was foul stormy weather,
and the wind blew hard out of the north, and it snowed
hard, whereby we were shut up again in our house,
the snow lay so closed before the doors.

The 29 of November it was fair clear weather
and a good air, the wind northerly; and we found
means to open our door by shovelling away the snow,
whereby we got one of our doors open ; and going out
we found all our traps and springes clean covered over
with snow, which we made clean, and set them up
agam to take foxes; and that day we took one,
which as then served us not only for meat, but of
the skins we made caps to wear upon our heads,
therewith to keep them warm from the extreme
cold.

The 3 of December we had the like weather, at
which times, as we lay in our cabins, we might hear
the ice crack in the sea, and yet it was at the least
two miles from us, which made a huge noise, and we
were of opinion that as then the great hills of ice,
which we had seen in the sea in summer time, brake
one from the other. And for that during those two or
three days, because of the extreme smoke, we made
not so much fire as we commonly used to do, it froze
so sore within the house, that the walls and the roof
thereof were frozen two fingers thick with ice, and also
in our cabins where we lay. All those three days,
while we could not go out by reason of the foul weather,
we set up the glass of twelve hours, and when it was
run out, we set it up again, still watching it lest we
should miss our time. For the cold was so great that

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 139

our clock was frozen, and might not go, although we
hung more weight on it than before.

The 6 of December it was foul weather again,
with an easterly wind and extreme cold, almost not to
be endured; whereupon we looked pitifully one upon
the other, being in great fear that, if the extremity of
the cold grew to be more and more, we should all die
there with cold, for that what fire soever we made, it
would not warm us : yea, and our sack, which is so
strong, was frozen very hard, so that when we were every
man to have his part, we were forced to melt it over
the fire, which we shared every second day about half
a pint for a man, wherewith we were forced to sustain
ourselves ; and at other times we drank water, which
agreed not well with the cold, and we needed not to
cool it with snow or ice, but we were forced to melt it
out of the snow.

The 7 of December it was still foul weather, and
we had a great storm with a north-east wind, which
brought an extreme cold with it; at which time we
knew not what to do, and while we sat consulting
together what were best for us to do, one of our com-
panions gave us counsel to burn some of the sea-coals
that we had brought out of the ship, which would
cast a great heat and continue long ; and so at evening
we made a great fire thereof, which cast a great heat.
At which time we were very careful to keep it in, for that
the heat being so great a comfort unto us, we took care
how to make it continue long; whereupon we agreed
to stop up all the doors and the chimney, thereby to
keep in the heat, and so went into our cabins to sleep,
well comforted with the heat, and so lay a great while
talking together. But at last we were taken with a

140 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

great s wounding and dizziness in our heads, yet some
more than other some, which we first perceived by a sick
man and therefore the less able to bear it, and found
ourselves to be very ill at ease, so that some of us
that were strongest started out of their cabins, and
first opened the chimney and then the doors, but he
that opened the door fell down in a swound upon the
snow. Which I hearing, as lying in my cabin next to
the door, started up, and casting vinegar in his face
recovered him again, and so he rose up. And when
the doors were open, we all recovered our healths again
by reason of the cold air; and so the cold, which
before had been so great an enemy unto us, was then
the only relief that we had, otherwise without doubt
we had died in a sudden swound. After that, the
master, when we were come to ourselves again, gave
every one of us a little wine to comfort our hearts.

The 8 of December it was foul weather, the wind
northerly, very sharp and cold, but we durst lay no
more coals on, as we did the day before, for that our
misfortune had taught us that, to shun one danger, we
should not run into another.

The 9 of December it was fair clear weather, the
sky full of stars; then we set our door wide open,
which before was fast closed up with snow, and made
our springes ready to take foxes.

The 10 of December it was still fair starlight
weather, the wind north-west. Then we took two
foxes, which were good meat for us, for as then our
victuals began to be scant and the cold still increased,
whereunto their skins served us for a good defence.

The 19 of December it was fair weather, the wind
being south, Then we put each other in good comfort

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 141

that the sun was then almost half over, and ready to
come to us again, which we sore longed for, it being
a weary time for us to be without the sun, and to want
the greatest comfort that God sendeth unto man here
upon the earth, and that which rejoiceth every living
thing.

The 20 of December before noon it was fair clear
weather, and then we had taken a fox; but towards
evening there rose such a storm in the south-west, with
so great a snow, that all the house was enclosed there-
with.

The 21 of December it was fair clear weather,
with a north-east wind. Then we made our door
clean again and made a way to go out, and cleansed
our traps for the foxes, which did us great pleasure
when we took them, for they seemed as dainty as
venison unto us.

The 26 of December it was foul weather, the
wind north-west, and it was so cold that we could not
warm us, although we used all the means we could,
with great fires, good store of clothes, and with hot
stones and balls laid upon our feet and upon our
bodies, as we lay in our cabins ; but notwithstanding all
this, in the morning our cabins were frozen white, which
made us behold one the other with sad countenance.
But yet we comforted ourselves again as well as we
could, that the sun was then as low as it could go,
and that it now began to come to us again, and we found
it to be true ; for that the days beginning to lengthen,
the cold began to strengthen, but hope put us in
good comfort and eased our pain.

The 27 of December it was still foul weather
with a north-west wind, so that as then we had not

142 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

been out in three days together, nor durst not thrust
our heads out of doors; and within the house it was
so extreme cold, that as we sat before a great fire, and
seemed to burn on the fore side, we froze behind at
our backs, and were all white, as the countrymen use
to be, when they come in at the gates of the town in
Holland with their sleds, and have gone all night.

The 28 of December it was still foul weather,
with a west wind, but about evening it began to clear
up. At which time one of our men made a hole open
at one of our doors, and went out to see what news
abroad, but found it so hard weather that he stayed
not long, and told us that it had snowed so much, that
the snow lay higher than our house, and that, if he had
stayed out longer, his ears would undoubtedly have
been frozen off.

The 29 of December it was calm weather and a
cloudy sky, the wind being southward. That day
he, whose turn it was, opened the door and digged a
hole through the snow, where we went out of the house
upon steps, as if it had been out of a cellar, at least
seven or eight steps high, each step a foot from the
other.

Anno 1597

After that, with great cold, danger, and disease,
we had brought the year unto an end, we entered into
the year of our Lord God 1597, the beginning whereof
was in the same manner as the end of anno 1596 had
been; for the weather continued as cold, foul, and
snowy as it was before, so that upon the first of January
we were enclosed in the house, the wind then being
west. At the same time we agreed to share our wine,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 143

every man a small measure full, and that but once in
two days. And as we were in great care and fear that
it would be long before we should get out from thence,
and we having but small hope therein, some of us
spared to drink wine as long as we could, that, if we
should stay long there, we might drink it at our need.

The 5 of January, when we had toiled all day,
we remembered ourselves that it was Twelfth Even,
and then we prayed our master that we might be
merry that night, and said that we were content to
spend some of the wine that night, which we had spared
and which was our share every second day, and whereof
for certain days we had not drunk; and so that night
we made merry and drew for king. And therewith
we had two pound of meal, whereof we made pancakes
with oil, and we laid to every man a white biscuit,
which we sopped in wine. And so, supposing that we
were in our own country . and amongst our friends,
it comforted us as well as if we had made a great
banquet in our own house. And we also distributed
tickets, and our gunner was king of Nova Zembla,
which is at least eight hundred miles long and lieth
between two seas.

The 16 of January it was fair weather, the wind
northerly ; and then we went now and then out of the
house to stretch out our joints and our limbs with going
and running, that we might not become lame; and
about noon time we saw a certain redness in the sky,
as a show or messenger of the sun, that began to come
towards us.

The 23 of January it was fair calm weather, with
a south-west wind. Then four of us went to the
ship and comforted each other, giving God thanks

144 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

that the hardest time of the winter was past, being in
good hope that we should live to talk of those things
at home in our own country; and when we were in
the ship, we found that the water rose higher and
higher in it, and so each of us taking a biscuit or two
with us, we went home again.

The 24 of January it was fair clear weather, with a
west wind. Then I and Jacob Heemskerck, and another
with us, went to the sea-side on the south side of Nova
Zembla, where, contrary to our expectation, I, the first
of all, saw the edge of the sun; wherewith we went
speedily home again, to tell William Barents and the
rest of our companions that joyful news. But William
Barents, being a wise and well experienced pilot, would
not believe it, esteeming it to be about fourteen days
too soon for the sun to shine in that part of the world ;
but we earnestly affirmed the contrary and said we
had seen the sun. Whereupon divers wagers were
laid.

The 25 and 26 of January it was misty and close
weather, so that we could not see anything. Then
they, that laid the contrary wager with us, thought
that they had won; but upon the twenty-seven day
it was clear weather, and then we saw the sun in his
full roundness above the horizon, whereby it manifestly
appeared that we had seen it upon the twenty-four
day of January.

The 26 of January in the evening the sick man,
that was amongst us, was very weak, and felt himself
to be extreme sick, for he had lain long time, and we
comforted him as well as we might, and gave him the
best admonition that we could, but he died not long
after midnight.

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 145

The 27 of January it was fair clear weather, with
a south-west wind. Then in the morning we digged
a hole in the snow, hard by the house, but it was still
so extreme cold that we could not stay long at work,
and so we digged by turns, every man a little while,
and then went to the fire, and another went and
supplied his place, till at last we digged seven foot
depth, where we went to bury the dead man. After
that, when we had read certain chapters and sung some
psalms, we all went out and buried the man; which
done, we went in and broke our fasts. And while
we were at meat, and discoursed amongst ourselves
touching the great quantity of snow, that continually
fell in that place, we said that, if it fell out that our
house should be closed up again with snow, we would find
the means to climb out at the chimney. Whereupon our
master went to try if he could climb up through the
chimney and so get out, and while he was climbing,
one of our men went forth of the door to see if the
master were out or not, who, standing upon the snow,
saw the sun, and called us all out ; wherewith we all
went forth and saw the sun in his full roundness a little
above the horizon. And then it was without all doubt
that we had seen the sun upon the 24 of January,
which made us all glad, and we gave God hearty thanks
for his grace shewed unto us, that that glorious light
appeared unto us again.

The 5 of February it was still foul weather, the
wind being east with great store of snow, whereby
we were shut up again into the house and had no other
way to get out but by the chimney, and those, that
could not climb out, were fain to help themselves within
as well as they could.

A. p. 10

146 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 12 of February it was clear weather and very
calm, the wind south-west. Then we made our traps
and springes clean again. Meantime there came a great
bear towards our house, which made us all go in, and
we levelled at her with our muskets, and as she came
right before our door, we shot her into the breast clean
through the heart, the bullet passing through her body
and went out again at her tail, and was as flat as a
counter. The bear feeling the blow, leapt backwards,
and ran twenty or thirty foot from the house, and there
lay down, wherewith we leapt all out of the house
and ran to her, and found her still alive. And when
she saw us, she reared up her head, as if she would gladly
have done us some mischief; but we trusted her not,
for that we had tried her strength sufficiently before,
and therefore we shot her twice into the body again,
and therewith she died. Then we ripped up her belly,
and taking out her guts, drew her home to the house,
where we flayed her and took at least one hundred
pound of fat out of her belly, which we melted and
burnt in our lamp. This grease did us great good
service, for by that means we still kept a lamp burning
all night long, which before we could not do for want
of grease; and every man had means to burn a lamp
in his cabin for such necessaries as he had to do. The
bear's skin was nine foot long, and seven foot broad.

The 13 of February it was fair clear weather with
a hard west wind, at which time we had more light in
our house by burning of lamps, whereby we had means
to pass the time away by reading and other exercises,
which before (when we could not distinguish day from
night by reason of the darkness, and had not lamps
continually burning) we could not do.

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 147

The 18 of February it was foul weather with much
snow and very cold, the wind being south-west; and
in the night time, as we burnt lamps and some of our
men lay awake, we heard beasts run upon the roof of
our house, which by reason of the snow made the
noise of their feet sound more than otherwise it would

How we shot a bear, wherefrom we got a good hundred pounds'
weight of grease

have done, the snow was so hard and cracked so much
that it gave a great sound, whereby we thought they
had been bears j but when it was day, we saw no footing
but of foxes, and we thought they had been bears, for
the night, which of itself is solitary and fearful, made
that which was doubtful to be more doubtful and
worse feared.

10—2

148 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 22 of February it was clear fair weather with a
south-west wind. Then we made ready a sled to fetch
more wood, for need compelled us thereunto; for, as
they say, hunger driveth the wolf out of the wood.
And eleven of us went together, all well appointed with
our arms; but coming to the place where we should
have the wood, we could not come by it, by reason it
lay so deep under the snow, whereby of necessity we
were compelled to go further, where with great labour
and trouble we got some; but as we returned back
again therewith, it was so sore labour unto us that we
were almost out of comfort, for that by reason of the
long cold and trouble that we had endured, we were
become so weak and feeble that we had little strength,
and we began to be in doubt that we should lose our
strength, and should not be able to fetch any more
wood, and so we should have died with cold; but
the present necessity, and the hope we had of better
weather, increased our forces, and made us do more
than our strengths afforded. And when we came near
to our house, we saw much open water in the sea,
which in long time we had not seen, which also put
us in good comfort that things would be better.

The 3 of March it was fair weather, with a south-
west wind ; at which time our sick men were somewhat
better, and sat upright in their cabins to do some-
thing to pass the time away, but after they found
that they were too ready to stir before their times.

The 4 of March it was fair weather with a west
wind. The same day there came a bear to our house,
whom we watched with our pieces as we did before,
and shot at her and hit her, but she run away. At
that time five of us went to our ship, where we found

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 149

that the bears had made work, and had opened our
cook's cupboard, that was covered over with snow,
thinking to find something in it, and had drawn it
out of the ship, where we found it.

The 11 of March twelve of us went to the place
where we used to go, to fetch a sled of wood, but still
we had more pain and labour therewith, because we
were weaker; and when we came home with it and
were very weary, we prayed the master to give either
of us a draught of wine, which he did, wherewith we
were somewhat relieved and comforted, and after that
were the willinger to labour, which was unsupportable
for us, if mere extremity had not compelled us there-
unto, saying oftentimes one unto the other, that if
the wood were to be bought for money, we would give
all our earnings or wages for it.

The 3 of April it was fair clear weather, with a
north-east wind and very calm ; then we made a staff
to play at golf, thereby to stretch our joints, which
we sought, by all the means we could, to do.

The 6 of April it was still foul weather, with a
stiff north-west wind. That night there came a bear
to our house, and we did the best we could to shoot at
her, but because it was moist weather and the powder
damp, our piece would not give fire, wherewith the
bear came boldly toward the house, and came down
the stairs close to the door, seeking to break into the
house ; but our master held the door fast to, and being
in great haste and fear, could not bar it with the piece
of wood that we used thereunto; but the bear seeing
that the door was shut, she went back again, and
within two hours after she came again, and went round
about and upon the top of the house, and made such

150 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

a roaring, that it was fearful to hear, and at last got
to the chimney, and made such work there, that we
thought she would have broken it down, and tore the
sail, that was made fast aBout it, in many pieces with a
great and fearful noise; but for that it was night we
made no resistance against her, because we could not
see her. At last she went away and left us.

The 15 of April it was fair calm weather with a
north wind; then seven of us went aboard the ship
to see in what case it was, and found it to be all in one
sort; and as we came back again there came a great
bear towards us, against whom we began to make
defence ; but she perceiving that, made away from us,
and we went to the place from whence she came, to see
her den, where we found a great hole made in the ice,
about a man's length in depth, the entry thereof being
very narrow, and within wide. There we thrust in our
pikes to feel if there was anything within it, but
perceiving it was empty, one of our men crept into it,
but not too far, for it was fearful to behold. After that
we went along by the sea side, and there we saw that
in the end of March and the beginning of April the
ice was in such wonderful manner risen and piled up
one upon the other, that it was wonderful, in such
manner as if there had been whole towns made of ice,
with towers and bulwarks round about them.

The 16 of April it was foul weather, the wind
north-west, whereby the ice began somewhat to break.

The 17 of April it was fair clear weather with a
south-west wind; and then seven of us went to the
ship, and there we saw open water in the sea, and then
we went over the ice hills as well as we could to the
water, for in six or seven months we had not gone so

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 151

near unto it; and when we got to the water, there
we saw a little bird swimming therein, but as soon as
it espied us, it dived under the water, which we took
for a sign that there was more open water in the
sea than there had been before, and that the time
approached that the water would be open.

The 29 of April it was fair weather with a south-
west wind. Then we played at golf, both to the ship
and from thence again homeward, to exercise our-

The 30 of April it was fair weather, the wind
south-west; then in the night we could see the sun in
the north, when it was in the highest, just above the
horizon, so that from that time we saw the sun both
night and day.

The 1 of May it was fair weather with a west wind ;
then we sod our last flesh, which for a long time we had
spared, and it was still very good, and the last morsel
tasted as well as the first, only it had but one fault,
which was that it would last no longer.

The 2 of May it was foul weather with a storm
out of the south-west, whereby the sea was almost
clear of ice, and then we began to speak about getting
from thence, for we had kept house long enough there.

The 3 of May it was still foul weather with a south-
west wind, whereby the ice began wholly to drive away,
but it lay fast about the ship. And when our best meat,
as flesh, barley, and other things, began to fail us, which
was our greatest sustenance, and that it behoved us
to be somewhat strong, to sustain the labour that we
were to undergo when we went from thence, the master
shared the rest of the pork amongst us, which was a
small barrel with salt pork in pickle, whereof every

152 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

one of us had two ounces a day, which continued for
the space of three weeks, and then it was eaten up.

The 4 of May it was indifferent fair weather, the
wind south-west. That day five of us went to the ship,
and found it lying still as fast in the ice, more than
before; for about the middle of March it was but 75
paces from the open water, and now it was 500 paces
from the water and enclosed round about with high
hills of ice, which put us in no small fear how we
should bring our scute and our boat through or over
that way into the water, when we went to leave that
place.

The 9 of May it was fair clear weather with an
indifferent wind out of the north-east ; at which time
the desire, that our men had to be gone from thence,
still more and more increased, and then they agreed
to speak to William Barents to move the master to go
from thence, but he held them off with fair words;
and yet it was not done in a mutinous manner, but to
take the best counsel with reason and good advice, for
they let themselves easily be talked over.

The 20 of May at noon we spake unto the master,
and told him that it was time to make preparation to
be gone, if he would ever get away from thence ; where-
unto he made answer that his own life was as dear unto
him as any of ours unto us, nevertheless he willed us
to make haste to prepare our clothes and other things
ready and fit for our voyage, and that in the meantime
we should patch and amend them, that after it might
be no hindrance unto us, and that we should stay till
the month of May was past, and then make ready the
scute and the boat and all other things fit and convenient
for our journey.

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 153

The 22 of May it was fair weather with a north-
west wind; and for that we had almost spent all our
wood, we brake the portal of our door down and
burnt it.

The 28 of May it was foul weather with a north-
west wind ; after noon it began to be somewhat better.
Then seven of us went unto the ship, and fetched such
things from thence as should serve us for the furnishing
of our scute and our boat, as the old foresail to make
the sails for our boat and our scute, and some tackles
and other things necessary for us.

The 29 of May, in the morning, it was reasonable fair
weather with a west wind. Then ten of us went unto
the scute to bring it to the house to dress it and make
it ready to sail, but we found it deep hidden under the
snow, and were fain with great pain and labour to dig
it out ; but when we had gotten it out of the snow, and
thought to draw it to the house, we could not do itr
because we were too weak. Wherewith we became
wholly out of heart, doubting that we should not be
able to go forward with our labour; but the master
encouraging us bade us strive to do more than we were
able, saying that both our lives and our welfare con-
sisted therein, and that if we could not get the scute
from thence and make it ready, then he said we must
dwell there as burghers of Nova Zembla, and make our
graves in that place. But there wanted no good will
in us, but only strength, which made us for that time
to leave off work and let the scute lie still, which was
no small grief unto us and trouble to think what were
best for us to do. But after noon, being thus comfort-
less come home, we took heart again, and determined
to turn the boat, that lay by the house with her keel

154 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

upwards, and to amend it and heighten the gunwales,
that it might be the fitter to carry us over the sea;
for we made full account that we had a long, trouble-
some voyage in hand, wherein we might have many
crosses, and wherein we should not be sufficiently
provided for all things necessary, although we took

How we made ready to sail back again to Holland

never so much care. And while we were busy about
our work there came a great bear unto us. Where-
with we went into our house and stood to watch her
in our three doors with arquebuses, and one stood in
the chimney with a musket. This bear came boldlier
unto us than ever any had done before; for she came
to the nether step that went to one of our doors, and

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 155

the man that stood in the door saw her not, because
he looked towards the other door. But they that
stood within saw her and in great fear called to him,
wherewith he turned about, and although he was
in a maze he shot at her, and the bullet passed clean
through her body : whereupon she ran away. Yet it
was a fearful thing to see, for the bear was almost upon
him before he saw her, so that if the piece had failed
to give fire (as oftentimes they do) it had cost him his
life, and it may be that the bear would have gotten
into the house. The bear being gone somewhat from
the house, lay down. Wherewith we went all armed
and killed her outright, and when we had ripped open
her belly we found a piece of a buck therein, with hair,
skin and all, which not long before she had torn and
devoured.

The 30 of May it was indifferent fair weather,
not very cold, but dark, the wind west. Then we
began to set ourselves to work about the boat to amend
it, the rest staying in the house to make the sails and
all other things ready that were necessary for us. But
while we were busy working at our boat, there came
a bear unto us, wherewith we were forced to leave
work ; but she was shot by our men. Then we brake
down the planks of the roof of our house, to amend our
boat withal, and so proceeded in our work as well as we
could ; for every man was willing to labour, for we had
sore longed for it,, and did more than we were able to do.

The 31 of May it was fair weather, but somewhat
colder than before, the wind being south-west, whereby
the ice drave away, and we wrought hard about our
boat. But when we were in the chief est part of work,
there came another bear, as if they had smelt that we

1

156 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

would be gone, and that therefore they desired to taste
a piece of some of us ; for that was the third day, one
after the other, that they set so fiercely upon us. So that
we were forced to leave our work and go into the house,
and she followed us ; but we stood with our pieces to
watch her, and shot three pieces at her, two from our
doors and one out of the chimney, which all three hit
her, whereby she fared as the dog did with the pudding.
But her death did us more hurt than her life, for after
we ripped her belly, we dressed her liver and ate it,
which in the taste liked us well, but it made us all sick,
specially three that were exceeding sick, and we verily
thought that we should have lost them, for all their
skins came off from the foot to the head. But yet they
recovered again, for the which we gave God hearty
thanks j for if as then we had lost these three men, it
was a hundred to one that we should never have gotten
from thence, because we should have had too few men
to draw and lift at our need.

The 3 of June, in the morning, it was fair clear
weather, the wind west; and then we were somewhat
better, and took great pains with the boat, that at
last we got it ready, after we had wrought six days upon
it. About evening it began to blow hard, and there-
with the water was very open, which put us in good
comfort that our deliverance would soon follow, and
that we should once get out of that desolate and
fearful place.

The 4 of June it was fair clear weather and indifferent
warm; and about the south-east sun (half past 7 a.m.)
eleven of us went to our scute where it then lay, and
drew it towards the ship. At which time the labour
seemed lighter unto us than it did before, when we took

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 157

it in hand and were forced to leave it off again. The
reason thereof was the opinion that we had, that the
snow as then lay harder upon the ground, and so was
become stronger, and it may be that our courages were
better to see that the time gave us open water, and that
our hope was that we should get from thence. And so
three of our men stayed by the scute to build her to
our minds ; and for that it was a herring scute, which
are made narrow behind, therefore they sawed it off
behind, and made it a broad stern and better to brook
the seas. They built it also somewhat higher, and
dressed it up as well they could. The rest of our men
were busy in the house to make all other things ready
for our voyage, and that day drew two sleds with
victuals and other goods unto the ship, that lay about
half way betweerythe house and the open water, so that
after they might have so much the shorter way to carry
the goods unto the waterside, when we should go away.
At which time all the labour and pains that we took
seemed light and easy unto us, because of the hope
that we had to get out of that wild, desert, irksome,
fearful, and cold country.

The 11 of June it was foul weather and it blew
hard north-north-west, so that all day we could do
nothing, and we were in great fear lest the storm would
carry the ice and the ship both away together (which
might well have come to pass) ; then we should have
been in greater misery than ever we were, for that our
goods, both victuals and others, were then all in the
ship ; but God provided so well for us, that it fell not
out so unfortunately.

The 12 of June it was indifferent fair weather.
Then we went with hatchets, halberds, shovels, and

158 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

other instruments, to make the way plain where we
should draw the scute and the boat to the water side,
along the way that lay full of knobs and hills of ice,
where we wrought sore with our hatchets and other
instruments. And while we were in the chief est of
our work, there came a great lean bear out of the sea
upon the ice towards us, which we judged to come out
of Tartaria, for we had seen of them 80 or 120 miles
within the sea. And for that we had no muskets, but
only one which our surgeon carried, I ran in great haste
towards the ship to fetch one or two, which the bear
perceiving ran after me, and was very likely to have
overtaken me • but our company seeing that, left their
work and ran after her, which made the bear turn
towards them and left me. But when she ran towards
them, she was shot into the body by the surgeon, and
ran away ; but because the ice was so uneven and hilly,
she could not go far, but being by us overtaken, we
killed her outright, and smote her teeth out of her
head, while she was yet living.

The 13 of June it was fair weather. Then the
master and the carpenters went to the ship, and there
made the scute and the boat ready, so that there rested
nothing as then, but only to bring it down to the water
side. The master and those that were with him, seeing
that it was open water and a good west wind, came
back to the house again, and there he spake unto
William Barents (that had been long sick), and showed
him that he thought it good (seeing it was a fit time)
to go from thence, and so willed the company to drive
the boat and the scute down to the water side, and in
the name of God to begin our voyage to sail from Nova
Zembla. Then William Barents wrote a letter, which

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160 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

he put into a musket's charge and hanged it up in the
chimney, showing how we came out of Holland to sail
to the kingdom of China, and what had happened unto
us being there on land, with all our crosses, that if any
man chanced to come thither, they might know what
had happened unto us, and how we had been forced
in our extremity to make that house, and had dwelt
10 months therein. And for that we were now forced
to put to sea in two small open boats and to undertake
a dangerous and adventurous voyage in hand, the
master wrote two letters, which most of us subscribed
unto, signifying how we had stayed there upon the land
in great trouble and misery, in hope that our ship would
be freed from the ice and that we should sail away with
it again, and how it fell out to the contrary, and that
the ship lay fast in the ice ; so that in the end, the time
passing away and our victuals beginning to fail us, we
were forced, for the saving of our own lives, to leave
the ship and to sail away in our open boats, and so to
commit ourselves into the hands of God. Of which
letters each boat had one, that if we chanced to lose
one another, or that by storms or any other misadven-
ture we happened to be cast away, that then by the
scute that escaped men might know how we left each
other. And so, having finished all things as we de-
termined, we drew the boat to the water side and left a
man in it, and went and fetched the scute, and after
that eleven sleds with goods, as victuals and some wine
that yet remained, and the merchants' goods, of which
we took every care to preserve as much as was possible,
viz., six packs with fine woollen cloth, a chest with linen,
two packets with velvet, two small chests with money,
two dryfats with the men's clothes and other things,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 161

13 barrels of bread, a barrel of cheese, a flitch of bacon,
two runlets of oil, six small runlets of wine, two runlets
of vinegar, with other packs belonging to the sailors;
so that when they lay all together upon a heap, a man
would have judged that they would not have gone into
the scutes. Which being all put into them, we went
to the house, and first drew William Barents upon a
sled to the place where our scutes lay, and after that
we fetched Nicholas Andrewson, both of them having
been long sick. And so we entered into the scutes and
divided ourselves into each of them alike, and put into
either of them a sick man. Then the master caused
both the scutes to lie close one by the other, and there we
subscribed to the letters which he had written. And
so committing ourselves to the will and mercy of God,
with a west-north-west wind and an indifferent open
water, we set sail and put to sea.

The 14 of June, in the morning, the sun easterly,
we put off from the land of Nova Zembla and the fast
ice thereunto adjoining, with our boat and our scute,
having a west wind, and sailed east-north-east all that
day to Island Point, which was 20 miles; but our
first beginning was not very good, for we entered fast
into the ice again, which there lay very hard and fast;
which put us into no small fear and trouble. And being
there, four of us went on land, to know the situation
thereof, and there we took four birds, which we killed
with stones upon the cliffs.

The 15 of June the ice began to go away; then we
put to sail again with a south wind, and passed along
by the Head Point and Flushing Point, stretching most
north-east, and after that north, to Cape Desire, which
is about 52 miles, and there we lay till the 16 of June.

a. p. 11

162 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 16 of June we set sail again, and got to the
Islands of Orange with a south wind, which is 32 miles
distant from Cape Desire. There we went on land
with two small barrels and a kettle, to melt snow
and to put the water into the barrels, as also to seek
for birds and eggs to make meat for our sick men.
And being there, we made fire with such wood as we
found there, and melted the snow, but found no birds ;
but three of our men went over the ice to the other
island, and got three birds, and as we came back again
our master (which was one of the three) fell into the
ice, where he was in great danger of his life, for in that
place there ran a great stream; but by God's help he
got out again and came to us, and there dried himself
by the fire that we had made ; at which fire we drest the
birds, and carried them to the scute to our sick men,
and filled our two runlets with water, that held about
eight quarts apiece. Which done, we put to the sea again
with a south-east wind and drowsy mizzling weather,
whereby we were all dankish and wet, for we had no
shelter in our open scutes, and sailed west and west
and by south to the Ice Point. And being there, both
our scutes lying hard by each other, the master called
to William Barents to know how he did, and William
Barents made answer and said, ''Well, God be thanked,
and I hope, before we get to Warehouse, to be able to
go." Then he spake to me and said, " Gerrit, are we
about the Ice Point ? If we be, then I pray you lift
me up, for I must view it once again." At which time
we had sailed from the Islands of Orange to the Ice
Point, about 20 miles ; and then the wind went round
to the west, and we made our scutes fast to a great
piece of ice, and there ate somewhat. But the weather

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 163

was still fouler and fouler, so that we were once again
enclosed with ice and forced to stay there.

The 17 of June, in the morning, when we had
broken our fasts, the ice came so fast upon us, that it
made our hairs stand upright upon our heads, it was
so fearful to behold. By which means we could not
save our scutes, so that we thought verily that it was
a foreshowing of our last end ; for we drave away
so hard with the ice, and were so sore pressed between
a flake of ice, that we thought verily the scutes would
burst in a hundred pieces, which made us look pitifully
one upon the other, for no counsel nor advice was to
be found, but every minute of an hour we saw death
before our eyes. At last, being in this discomfort
and extreme necessity, the master said, if we could take
hold with a rope upon the fast ice, we might therewith
draw the scute up, and so get it out of the great drift
of ice. But as this counsel was good, yet it was so full
of danger, that it was the hazard of his life, that should
take upon him to do it; and without doing it, was it
most certain that it would cost us all our lives. This
counsel (as I said) was good, but no man (like to the
tale of the mice) durst hang the bell about the cat's
neck, fearing to be drowned; yet necessity required
to have it done, and the most danger made us choose
the least. So that being in that perplexity, I being
the lightest of all our company, took on me to fasten
a rope upon the fast ice; and so creeping from one
piece of driving ice to another, by God's help got to
the fast ice, where I made a rope fast to a high howell,
and they that were in the scute drew it thereby unto
the said fast ice, and then one man alone could draw
more than all of them could have done before. And

11—2

164 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

when we had gotten thither, in all haste we took our
sick men out and laid them upon the ice, laying clothes
and other things under them, and then took all our
goods out of the scutes, and so drew them upon the
ice. whereby for that time we were delivered from that
great danger, making account that we had escaped
out of death's claws, as it was most true.

The 18 of June we repaired and amended our
scutes again, being much bruised and crushed with the
racking of the ice, and were forced to drive all the nails
fast again, and to piece many things about them,
God sending us wood wherewith we molt our pitch,
and did all other things that belonged thereunto.
That done, some of us went upon the land to seek for
eggs, which the sick men longed for, but we could find
none; but we found four birds, not without great
danger of our lives between the ice and the firm land,
wherein we often fell, and were in no small danger.

The 19 of June it was indifferent weather, the
wind north-west and west-south-west, but we were still
shut up in the ice and saw no opening, which made us
think that there would be our last abode, and that we
should never get from thence j but on the. other side
we comforted ourselves again, that seeing God had
helped us oftentimes unexpectedly in many perils, and
that His arm as yet was not shortened, but that He
could help us at His goodwill and pleasure, it made us
somewhat comfortable, and caused us to speak cheer-
fully one unto the other.

The 20 of June it was indifferent weather, the
wind west, and when the sun was south-east, Nicholas
Andre wson began to be extreme sick, whereby we
perceived that he would not live long, and the boatswain

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 165

came into our scute and told us in what case he was,
and that he could not long continue alive. Whereupon
William Barents spake and said, "I think I shall not
live long after him " ; and yet we did not judge William
Barents to be so sick, for we sat talking one with the
other, and spake of many things, and William Barents
looked at my card which I had made touching our
voyage. At last he laid away the card and spake unto
me, saying, " Gerrit, give me some drink; " and he had
no sooner drunk, but he was taken with so sudden a
qualm, that he turned his eyes in his head, and died
presently, and we had no time to call the master out
of the other scute to speak unto him j and so he died
before Nicholas Andre wson. The death of William
Barents put us in no small discomfort, as being the
chief guide and only pilot on whom we reposed our-
selves next under God j but we could not strive against
God, and therefore we must of force be content.

The 21 of June the ice began to drive away again,
and God made us some opening with a soutliTSOuth-west
wind; and when the sun was north-west, the wind
began to blow south-east with a good gale, and we
began to make preparations to go from thence.

The 22 of June, in the morning, it blew a good
gale out of the south-east, and then the sea was reason-
able open ; but we were forced to draw our scutes over
the ice to get unto it, which was great pain and labour
unto us. For first we were forced to draw our scutes
over a piece of ice of 50 paces long, and there put
them into the water, and then again to draw them up
upon other ice, and after draw them at the least 300
paces more over the ice, before we could bring them
to a good place, where we might easily get out. And

166 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

being gotten unto the open water, we committed
ourselves to God and set sail, the sun being about
east-north-east, with an indifferent gale of wind out of
the south and south-south-east, and sailed west and west
and by south, till the sun was south ; and then we were
round about enclosed with ice again, and could not
get out, but were forced to lie still. But not long after,
the ice opened again like to a sluice, and we passed
through it and set sail again, and so sailed along by
the land, but were presently enclosed with ice ; but
being in hope of opening again, meantime we ate
somewhat, for the ice went not away as it did before.
After that, we used all the means we could to break
it, but all in vain j and yet, a good while after, the ice
opened again, and we got out and sailed along by the
land, west and by south, with a south wind.

The 23 of June we sailed still forward west and
by south till the sun was south-east, and got to Cape
Comfort.

The 25 of June it blew a great south wind, and
the ice whereunto we made ourselves fast was not
very strong, whereby we were in great fear, that we
should break off from it and drive into the sea; for
when the sun was in the west, a piece of that ice brake
off, whereby we were forced to dislodge and make our-
selves fast to another piece of ice.

The 26 of June it still blew hard out of the south,
and broke the ice, whereunto we were fast, in pieces;
and we thereby drave into the sea, and could get no
more to the fast ice, whereby we were in a thousand
dangers to be all cast away. And driving in that sort
in the sea, we rowed as much as we could, but we could
not get near unto the land: therefore we hoised up

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 167

our foresail, and tried to do it with our sails. But our
foremast brake twice in pieces, and then it was worse
for us than before; and notwithstanding that there
blew a great gale of wind, yet we were forced to hoise
up our main-sail. But the wind blew so hard into it,
that, if we had not presently taken it in again, we had
been capsized, or else our boat would have been filled
with water. For the water began to leap over board,
and we were a good way in the sea, at which time the
waves went so hollow that it was most fearful, and
we thereby saw nothing but death before our eyes,
and every twinkling of an eye looked when we should
sink. But God, that had delivered us out of so many
dangers of death, holp us once again, and contrary
to our expectations sent us a north-west wind, and so
with great danger we got to the fast ice again. When
we were delivered out of that danger, and knew not
where our other scute was, we sailed four miles along
by the fast ice, but found it not. Whereby we were
wholly out of heart and in great fear that they were
drowned; at which time it was misty weather. And
so sailing along, and hearing no news of our other
scute, we shot off a musket, which they hearing shot
off another, but yet we could not see each other. Mean-
time, approaching nearer to each other, and the weather
waxing somewhat clearer, as we and they shot once
again, we saw the smoke of their pieces ; and at last
we met together again, and saw them lie fast between
driving and fast ice. And when we got near unto them,
we went over the ice and holp them to unlade the
goods out of their scute, and drew it over the ice, and
with much pain and trouble brought it into the open
water again ; and while they were fast in the ice, they

168 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

had found some wood upon the land by the sea side ;
and when we lay by each other, we sod some bread
and water together and ate it up warm, which did us
much good.

The 28 of June, when the sun was in the east,
we laid all our goods upon the ice, and then drew the
scutes upon the ice also, because we were so hardly
pressed on all sides with the ice, and the wind came
out of the sea upon the land, and therefore we were in
fear to be wholly enclosed with the ice, and should not
be able to get out thereof again. And being upon the
ice, we made a tent of our sails, and lay down to rest,
appointing one of our men to keep watch. And when
the sun was north there came three bears towards
our scutes, wherewith he that kept the watch cried,
" Three bears ! three bears ! " At which noise we leapt
out of our boats with our muskets, that were laden with
hail-shot to shoot at birds, and had no time to discharge
them, and therefore shot at them therewith. And
although that kind of shot could not hurt them much,
yet they ran away ; and in the meantime they gave us
leisure to load our muskets with bullets, and by that
means we shot one of the three dead. Which. the other
two perceiving, ran away, but within two hours after
they came again; but when they were almost at us
and heard us make a noise, they ran away. At which
time the wind was west and west and by north, which
made the ice drive with great force into the east.

The 29 of June, the sun being south -south -west,
the two bears came again to the place where the dead
bear lay, where one of them took the dead bear in his
mouth, and went a great way with it over the rugged
ice, and then began to eat it. Which we perceiving,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 169

shot a musket at her, but she hearing the noise thereof,
ran away, and let the dead bear lie. Then four of us
went thither, and saw that in so short a time she had
eaten almost the half of her; and we took the dead
bear and laid it upon a high heap of ice, so that we
might see it out of our scute, that if the bear came
again we might shoot at her. At which time we found
out the great strength of the bear, that carried the
dead bear as lightly in her mouth, as if it had been
nothing; whereas we four had enough to do, to carry
away the half dead bear between us. Then the wind
still held west, which drave the ice into the east.

The 1 of July it was indifferent fair weather, with
a west-north-west wind; and in the morning, the sun
being east, there came a bear from the driving ice, and
swam over the water to the fast ice, whereon we lay;
but when she heard us, she came no nearer, but ran
away. And when the sun was south-east, the ice
came so fast in towards us, that all the ice, whereon
we lay with our scutes and our goods, brake and ran
one piece upon another ; whereby we were in no small
difficulty, for at that time most of our goods fell into
the water. But we with great diligence drew our scute
further upon the ice towards the land, where we thought
to be better defended from the driving of the ice. And
as we went to fetch our goods, we fell into the greatest
trouble that ever we had before ; for that we endured
so great danger in the saving thereof, that as we laid
hold upon one piece thereof, the rest sunk down with the
ice, and many times the ice brake under our own feet.
Whereby we were wholly discomforted and in a manner
clean out of all hope, expecting no issue thereof; in
such sort that our trouble at that time surmounted all

170 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

our former cares and impeachments. And when we
thought to draw up our boat upon the ice, the ice
brake under us, and we were carried away with the
scute and all by the driving ice ; and when we thought
to save the goods, the ice brake under our feet, and
with that the scute brake in many places, especially
that which we had mended, as the mast, the mast
plank, and almost all the scute, wherein one of our
men that was sick and a chest of money lay, which
we with great danger of our lives got out from it. For
as we were doing it, the ice that was under our feet
drave from us and slid away under the other ice;
whereby we were in danger to burst both our arms
and our legs. At which time, thinking that we had
been clean quit of our scute, we beheld each other
in pitiful manner, knowing not what we should do,
our lives depending thereon. But God made so good
provision for us, that the pieces of ice drave from each
other ; wherewith we ran in great haste unto the scute
and drew it to us again in such case as it was, and
laid it upon the fast ice by the boat, where it was in
more security; which put us unto an exceeding and
great and dangerous labour, from the time that the
sun was south-east until it was west-south-west. And
in all that time we rested not, which made us extreme
weary and wholly out of comfort ; for that it troubled
us sore, and it was much more fearful unto us, than at
that time when William Barents died; for there we
were almost drowned, and that day we lost (which was
sunk in the sea) two barrels of bread, a chest with linen
cloth, a dryfat with the sailors' clothes, our astrono-
mical ring, a pack of scarlet cloth, a runlet of oil, and
some cheeses, and a runlet of wine, which bunged

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 171

with the ice, so that there was not anything thereof
saved.

The 2 of July, the sun east, there came another
bear unto us, but we making a noise, she ran away;
and when the sun was west-south-west it began to be
fair weather. Then we began to mend our scute with
the planks wherewith we had made the bottom boards ;
and while six of us were busied about mending of our
scute, the other six went further into the land, to seek
for some wood, and to fetch some stones to lay upon
the ice, that we might make a fire thereon, therewith to
melt our pitch, which we should need about the scute,
as also to see if they could fetch any wood for a mast ;
which they found with certain stones, and brought
them where the scutes lay. And when they came to
us again, they shewed us that they had found certain
wood, which had been cloven, and brought some wedges
with them, wherewith the said wood had been cloven ;
whereby it appeared that men had been there. Then
we made all the haste we could to make a fire, and to
melt our pitch, and to do all other things that were
necessary to be done for the repairing of our scute,
so that we got it ready again by that the sun was north-
east j at which time also we roasted our birds and made
a good meal with them.

The 3 of July, in the morning, the sun being east,
two of our men went to the water, and there they found
two of our oars, our helm stick, the pack of scarlet
cloth, the chest with linen cloth, and a hat that fell
out of the dryf at ; whereby we guessed that it was
broken in pieces. Which they perceiving, took as much
with them as they could carry, and came unto us,
showing us that they had left more goods behind them.

172 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

Whereupon the master with five more of us went
thither, and drew all the goods upon the firm ice, that
when we went away we might take it with us; but
they could not carry the chest nor the pack of cloth
(that were full of water), because of their weight ; but
were forced to let them stand till we went away, that
the water might drop out of them, and we might after-
wards fetch them, as we did. The sun being south-west,
there came another great bear unto us, which the man
that kept watch saw not, and had been devoured by
her, if one of our other men from out of the boat had
not espied her, and called to him that kept watch to
look to himself, who therewith ran away. Meantime
the bear was shot into the body, but she escaped ; and
that time the wind was east-north-east.

The 10 of July, from the time that the sun was
east-north-east till it was east, we took great pains and
labour to get through the ice ; and at last we got through
and rowed forth, until we happened to fall between two
great fields of ice, that closed one with the other, so that
we could not get through, but were forced to draw the
scutes upon them, and to unlade the goods, and then to
draw them over to the open water on the other side ; and
then we must go fetch the goods also to the same place,
being at least 110 paces long, which was very hard for
us j but there was no remedy, for it was but a folly for
us to think of any weariness. And when we were in
the open water again, we rowed forward as well as we
could, but we had not rowed long before we fell between
two great fields of ice, that came driving one against
the other; but by God's help and our speedy rowing
we got from between them, before they closed up ; and
being through, we had a hard west wind right in our

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 173

teeth, so that of force we were constrained to make
towards the fast ice that lay by the shore, and at last
with much trouble we got unto it. And being there,
we thought to row along by the fast ice unto an island
that we saw before us j but by reason of the hard
contrary wind we could not go far, so that we were
compelled to draw the scutes and the goods upon the
ice, to see what issue God would send us. But our
courages were cooled to see ourselves so often enclosed
in the ice, being in great fear that by means of the long
and continual pains (which we were forced to take) we
should lose all our strength, and by that means should
not long be able to continue or hold out.

The 1 1 of July, in the morning, as we sat fast upon
the ice, the sun being north-east, there came a great
bear out of the water running towards us; but we
watched for her with three muskets, and when she
came within 30 paces of us, we shot all the three muskets
at her and killed her outright, so that she stirred not
a foot, and we might see the fat run out at the holes
of her skin, that was shot in with the muskets, swim
upon the water like oil. And so driving dead upon
the water, we went upon a field of ice to her, and putting
a rope about her neck, drew her up upon the ice and
smit out her teeth; at which time we measured her
body, and found it to be eight foot thick. Then we
had a west wind with dirty weather; but when the
sun was south, it began to clear up. Then three of our
men went to the island that lay before us, and being
there, they saw the Cross Island lying westward from
them, and went thither, to see if that summer there
had been any Russian there, and went thither upon
the fast ice that lay between the two islands ; and

174 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

being in the island, they could not perceive that any
man had been in it, since we were there. There they
got 70 burrow-ducks' eggs, but when they had them,
they knew not wherein to carry them. At last one of
them put off his breeches, and tying them fast below,
they carried them between two of them, and the third
bare the musket; and so they came to us again, after
they had been twelve hours out, which put us in no
small fear to think what was become of them. They
told us that they had many times gone up to the knees
in water upon the ice between both the islands, and
it was at least 24 miles to and fro that they had gone ;
which made us wonder how they could endure it, seeing
we were all so weak. With the eggs that they had
brought, we were all well comforted, and fared like
lords, so that we found some relief in our great misery ;
and then we shared our last wine amongst us, whereof
everyone had three glasses.

The 18 of July, about the east sun, three of our
men went up upon the highest part of the land, to see
if there was any open water in the sea. At which time
they saw much open water, but it was so far from the
land, that they were almost out of comfort, because
it lay so far from the land and the fast ice, being of
opinion that we should not be able to draw the scutes
and the goods so far thither, because our strength
failed us more and more, and the sore labour and pain,
that we were forced to endure, more and more increased.
And coming to our scutes, they brought us that news;
but we, being compelled thereunto by necessity,
abandoned all weariness and faint-heartedness, and
determined with ourselves to bring the boats and the
goods to the water side, and to row unto that ice, where

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 175

we must pass over, to get to the open water. And when
we got to it, we unladed our scutes, and drew them
first over the ice to the open water, and after that the
goods, it being at the least 1000 paces. Which was so
sore a labour for us, that, as we were in hand therewith,
we were in a manner ready to leave off in the middle
thereof, and feared that we should not go through
withal. But for that we had gone through so many
dangers, we hoped that we should not be faint therein,
wishing that it might be the last trouble, that we should
as then endure; and so with great difficulty got into
the open water about the south-west sun. Then we
set sail till the sun was west and by south, and presently
fell amongst the ice again, where we were forced to
draw up the scutes again upon the ice ; and being upon
it, we could see the Cross Island, which we guessed
to be about four miles from us, the wind then being
east and east-north-east.

The 19 of July, lying in that manner upon the
ice, about the east sun seven of our men went to the
Cross Island, and being there, they saw great store of
open water in the west ; wherewith they much rejoiced,
and made as great haste as they could to get to the
scutes again ; but before they came away, they got a
hundred eggs, and brought them away with them.
And coming to the scutes, they showed us that they
had seen as much open water in the sea as they could
discern; being in good hope that that would be the
last time, that they should draw the scutes over the
ice, and that it should be no more measured by us, and
in that sort put us in good comfort. Whereupon we
made speed to dress our eggs, and shared them amongst
us; and presently, the sun being south-south-west,

176 William Barents. , Third Voyage Northward

we fell to work, to make all things ready to bring the
scutes to the water, which were to be drawn at least
270 paces over the ice; which' we did with a good
courage, because we were in good hope, that it would
be the last time. And getting to the water, we put to
sea, with God's help, with an east and east-north-east
wind and a good gale, so that with the west sun we
passed by the Cross Island, which is distant from Cape
Nassau 40 miles. And presently, after that, the ice
left us, and we got clear out of it; yet we saw some
in the sea, but it troubled us not. And so we held our
course west and by south, with a good gale of wind
out of the east and east-north-east, so that we guessed
that between every meal-tide we sailed 72 miles;
wherewith we were exceedingly comforted, giving God
thanks, that He had delivered us out of so great and
many difficulties (wherein it seemed that we should
have been overwhelmed), hoping in His mercy, that
from thenceforth He would aid us.

The 20 of July, having still a good gale, about
the south-east sun we passed along by the Black
Point, which is 48 miles distant from the Cross Island,
and sailed west-south-west; and about the evening,
with the west sun, we saw the Admiralty Island, and
about the north sun passed along by it, which is distant
from the Black Point 32 miles. And passing along
by it, we saw about two hundred sea-horses lying upon
a field of ice, and we sailed close by them and drave
them from thence, which had almost cost us dear;
for they, being mighty strong and of great force,
swam towards us (as if they would be revenged on us
for the despite that we had done them) round about
our scutes with a great noise, as if they would have

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 177

devoured us; but we escaped from them by reason
that we had a good gale of wind, yet it was not wisely
done of us to wake sleeping wolves.

The 28 of July it was fair weather, with a north-
east wind. Then we sailed along by the land, and with
the south-west sun got before St Laurence Bay, or
Sconce Point, and sailed south-east 24 miles ; and

True portraiture of our boats, and how we nearly got into
trouble with the sea-horses

being there, we found two Russians' lodgies or ships
beyond the Point, wherewith we were not a little
comforted to think that we were come to the place
where we found men, but were in some doubt of them
because they were so many, for at that time we saw
at least 30 men, and knew not what sort of persons
they were. There with much pain and labour we got

a. p. 12

178 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

to the land, which they perceiving, left off their work
and came towards us, but without any arms; and
we also went on shore, as many as were well, for
divers of us were very ill at ease and weak by reason
of the scurvy. And when we met together we saluted
each other in friendly wise, they after theirs, and we
after our manner. And when we were met, both
they and we looked each other stedfastly in the face,
for that some of them knew us, and we them to be
the same men, which the year before, when we passed
through the Weygats, had been in our ship. At which
time we perceived that they were abashed and wondered
at us, to remember that at that time we were so well
furnished with a great ship, that was exceedingly
provided of all things necessary, and then to see us so
lean and bare, and with so small scutes into that country.
And amongst them there were two, that in friendly
manner clapt the master and. me upon the shoulder,
as knowing us since the former voyage ; for there was
none of all our men that was as then in the Weygats,
but we two only; and they asked us for our crable,
meaning our ship, and we shewed them by signs, as well
as we could (for we had no interpreter), that we had lost
our ship in the ice. Wherewith they said, " Crable pro
pal ? " which we understood to be, " Have you lost your
ship ? " And we made answer, " Crable pro pal," which
was as much as to say that we had lost our ship. And
many more words we could not use, because we under-
stood not each other. Then they made show to be
sorry for our loss, and to be grieved that we the year
before had been there with so many ships, and then
to see us in so simple manner, and made us signs that
then they had drunk wine in our ship, and asked us

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 179

what drink we had now. Wherewith one of our men
went into the scute and drew some water, and let them
taste thereof; but they shaked their heads, and said,
"No dobbre" that is, "It is not good." Then our
master went nearer unto them, and shewed them his
mouth, to give them to understand that we were
troubled with the scurvy, and to know if they could
give us any counsel to help it. But they thought we
made show that we had great hunger, wherewith one of
them went unto their lodging and fetched a round rye
loaf weighing about eight pounds, with some smoked
fowls, which we accepted thankfully, and gave them in
exchange half a dozen of biscuits. Then our master led
two of the chief of them with him into his scute, and
gave them some of the wine that we had, being about
a quart, for it was so near out. And while we stayed
there, we were very familiar with them, and went to
the place where they lay, and sod some of our biscuit
with water by their fire, that we might eat some warm
thing down into our bodies. And we were much
comforted to see the Russians, for that in thirteen
months' time since that we departed from John Cor-
nelison, we had not seen any man, but only monstrous
and cruel wild bears ; so that as then we were in some
comfort, to see that we had lived so long, to come in
company of men again. And therewith we said unto
each other, " Now we hope that it will fall out better
with us, seeing we have found men again," thanking
God with all our hearts, that He had been so gracious
and merciful unto us, to give us life until that time.

The 29 of July it was reasonable fair weather,
and that morning the Russians began to make prepara-
tion to be gone and to set sail; at which time they

12—2

180 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

digged certain barrels with train oil out of the shingle,
which they had buried there, and put it into their
ships. And we not knowing whither they would go,
saw them sail towards the Weygats : at which time also
we set sail and followed after them. But they sailing
before us, and we following them along by the land,
the weather being close and misty, we lost the sight
of them.

The 31 of July we rowed to an island, and there,
to our great good, we went on land, for in that island
we found great store of leple leaves, which served us
exceeding well ; and it seemed that God had purposely
sent us thither, for as then we had many sick men,
and most of us were so troubled with the scurvy,
and were thereby become so weak, that we could
hardly row, but by means of those leaves we were
healed thereof : for that as soon as we had eaten them,
we were presently eased and healed ; whereat we could
not choose but wonder, and therefore we gave God
great thanks for that and for many other His mercies
showed unto us, by His great and unexpected aid, lent
us in that our dangerous voyage. And so, as I said
before, we ate them by whole handfuls. together,
because in Holland we had heard much spoken of their
great force, and as then found it to be much more
than we expected.

The 1 of August the wind blew hard north-west,
and the ice, that for a while had driven towards the
entry of the Weygats, stayed and drave no more, but
the sea ran very high, whereby we were forced to
remove our scutes on the other side of the island, to
defend them from the waves of the sea. And lying
there, we went on land again to fetch more leple leaves,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 181

whereby we had been so well holpen, and still more and
more recovered our healths, and in so short time that
we could not choose but wonder thereat; so that as
then some of us could eat biscuit again, which not long
before they could not do.

The 2 of August it was dark misty weather, the
wind still blowing stiff north-west; at which time our
victuals began to decrease, for as then we had nothing
but a little bread and water, and some of us a little
cheese ; which made us long sore to be gone from thence,
specially in regard of our hunger, whereby our weak
members began to be much weaker ; and yet we were
forced to labour sore, which were two great contraries ;
for it behoved us rather to have our bellies full, that
so we might be the stronger to endure our labour ; but
patience was our point of trust.

The 3 of August, about the north sun, the weather
being somewhat better, we agreed amongst ourselves
to leave Nova Zembla and to cross over to Russia.

The 4 of August we saw the coast of Russia
lying before us, whereat we were exceeding glad.

The 5 of August, lying there, one of our men went
on shore, and found the land further in to be green and
full of trees, and from thence called to us to bid us
bring our pieces on shore, saying that there was wild
deer to be killed, which made us exceeding glad, for then
our victuals were almost spent, and we had nothing but
some broken bread, whereby we were wholly out of
comfort, and some of us were of opinion that we should
leave the scutes and go further into the land, or else
(they said) we should all die with hunger, for that many
days before we were forced to fast, and hunger was a
sharp sword which we could hardly endure any longer.

182 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

The 6 of August the weather began to be someAvhat
better; at which time we determined to row forward,
because the wind was against us, so that we might
get out of the creek, the wind being east-south-east,
which was our course as then. And so, having rowed
about twelve miles, we could get no further, because
it was so full in the wind, and we altogether heartless
and faint, the land stretching further north-east than
we made account it had done. Whereupon we beheld
each other in pitiful manner, for we had great want
of victuals, and knew not how far we had to sail, before
we should get any relief; for all our victuals was almost
consumed.

The 7 of August, the wind being west- north -west,
it served us well to get out of that creek, and so we
sailed forward east and by north till we got out of the
creek, to the place and the point of land, where we first
had been, and there made our scutes fast again; for
the north-west wind was right against us, whereby
our men's hearts and courages were wholly abated, to
see no issue how we should get from thence ; for as
then sicknesses, hunger, and no means to be found
how to get from thence, consumed both our flesh and
our blood; but if we had found any relief, it would
have been better with us.

The 8 of August there was no better weather,
but still the wind was against us, and we lay a good
way one from the other, as we found best place for us ;
at which time there was most sorrow in our boat, in
regard that some of us were exceeding hungry, and
could not endure it any longer, but were wholly out
of heart, and wishing to die.

The 9 of August it was all one weather, so that,

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 183

the wind blowing contrary, we were forced to lie still
and could go no further, our grief still increasing more
and more. At last two of our men went out of the
scute, wherein the master was ; which we perceiving, two
of our men also landed, and went all together about
four miles into the country, and at last saw a beacon,
by the which there issued a great stream of water,
which we thought to be the way, from whence the
Russians came between Candinaes and the firm land
of Russia. And as our men came back again, in the
way, as they went along, they found a dead seal,
that stank exceedingly, which they drew with them
to our boats, thinking that they should have a dainty
morsel out of it, because they endured so great hunger;
but we told them that without doubt it would kill us,
and that it were better for us to endure poverty and
hunger for a time, than to venture upon it; saying
that, seeing God, who in so many great extremities
had sent us a happy issue, still lived and was exceeding
powerful, we hoped and nothing doubting that He would
hot altogether forsake us, but rather help us when we
were most in despair.

The 10 of August it was still a north-west wind,
with misty and dark weather, so that we were driven
to lie still ; at which time it was no need for us to ask
one another how we fared, for we could well guess it
by our countenances.

The 1 1 of August, in the morning, it was fair
calm weather, so that, the sun being about north-east,
the master sent one of his men to us, to bid us prepare
ourselves to set sail, but we had made ourselves ready
thereunto before he came, and began to row towards
him. At which time, for that I was very weak and no

184 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

longer able to row, as also for that our boat was harder
to row than the scute, I was set in the scute to guide
the helm, and one that was stronger was sent out of
the scute into the boat to row in my place, that we
might keep company together ; and so we rowed till
the sun was south, and then we had a good gale of
wind out of the south, which made us take in our oars ;
and then we hoised up our sails, wherewith we made
good way. But in the evening the wind began to blow
hard, whereby we were forced to take in our sails and
to row towards the land, where we laid our scutes close
to the strand, and went on land to seek for fresh water,
but found none. And because we could go no further,
we laid our sails over the boats to cover us from the
weather; at which time it began to rain very hard,
and at midnight it thundered and lightened, with more
store of rain, wherewith our company were much
disquieted, to see that they found no means of relief,
but still entered into further trouble and danger.

The 12 of August it was fair weather; at which
time, the sun being east, we saw a Russian lodgie come
towards us with all his sails up, wherewith we were
not a little comforted, which we perceiving from the
strand, where we lay with our scutes, we desired the
master that we might go unto him to speak with him,
and to get some victuals of them ; and to that end
we made as much haste as we could to get the boats
into deep water, and sailed towards them. And when
we got to them, the master went into the lodgie to ask
them how far we had to Candinaes, which we could
not well learn of them, because we understood them
not. They held up their five fingers unto us, but we
knew not what they meant thereby; but after, we

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 185

perceived that thereby they would show us, that there
stood five crosses upon it; and they brought their
compass out, and showed us, that it lay north-west from
us, which our compass also showed us, which reckoning
also we had made. But when we saw we could have
no better intelligence from them, the master went
further into their ship, and pointed to a barrel of
fish that he saw therein, making signs to know whether
they would sell it unto us, showing them a piece of
eight reals. Which they understanding, gave us 102
fishes, with some cakes, which they had made of meal,
when they sod their fish. And about the south sun
we left them, being glad that we had gotten some
victuals ; for long before we had had but four ounces
of bread a day with a little water, and nothing else,
and with that we were forced to comfort ourselves
as well as we could. The fishes we shared amongst
us equally, to one as much as another, without any
difference.

The 13 of August, sailing with a good wind, about
midnight there rose a great storm out of the north,
wherewith we stroke sail and made it shorter; but
our other boat, that was harder under sail (knowing
not that we had lessened our sails), sailed forward,
whereby we strayed one from the other, for then it
was very dark.

The 14 of August, in the morning, it being in-
different good weather with a south-west wind, we
sailed west-north-west, and then it began to clear up,
so that we saw our other boat, and did what we could
to get unto her, but we could not, because it began to
be misty weather again; and therefore we said unto
each other, ' ' Let us hold on our course : we shall find

186 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

them well enough on the north coast, when we are
past the White Sea."

The 15 of August we saw the sun rise east-north-
east, whereupon we thought that our compass varied
somewhat; and when the sun was east, it was calm
weather again, wherewith we were forced to take in
our sails and to row again, but it was not long before
we had a gale of wind out of the south-east, and then
we hoised up our sails again, and went forward west
and by south. And sailing in that manner with a
good forewind, when the sun was south we saw land,
thinking that as then we had been on the west side
of the White Sea beyond Candinaes; and being close
under the land, we saw six Russian lodgies lying there,
to whom we sailed and spake with them, asking them
how far we were from Kilduin. But although they
understood us not well, yet they made us such signs,
that we understood by them that we were still far from
thence, and that we were yet on the east side of Can-
dinaes. And with that they stroke their hands together,
thereby signifying that we must first pass over the
White Sea, and that our scutes were too little to do it,
and that it would be over great danger for us to pass
over it with so small scutes, and that Candinaes was
still north-west from us. Then we asked them for
some bread, and they gave us a loaf, which we ate
hungerly up, as we were rowing; but we would not
believe them that we were still on the east side of
Candinaes, for we thought verily that we had passed
over the White Sea. And when we left them, we rowed
along by the land, the wind being north; and about
the north-west sun we had a good wind again from
the south-east, and therewith we sailed along by the

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 187

shore, and saw a great Russian lodgie lying on the
starboard from us, which we thought came out of the
White Sea.

The 16 of August, in the morning, sailing forward
north-west, we perceived that we were in a creek, and
so made towards the Russian lodgie, which we had
seen on our starboard, which at last with great labour
and much pain we got unto ; and coming to them about
the south-east sun, with a hard wind, we asked them
how far we were from Zembla de Cool or Kilduin j but
they shook their heads, and showed us that we were
on the east side of Zembla de Candinaes, but we would
not believe them. And then we asked them for some
victuals, wherewith they gave us certain plaice, for
the which the master gave them a piece of money;
and we sailed from them again, to get out of that hole
where we were, as it reached into the sea. But they
perceiving that we took a wrong course, and that the
flood was almost past, sent two men unto us, in a
small boat, with a great loaf of bread, which they
gave us, and made signs unto us to come back to
their ship again, for that they intended to have further
speech with us and to instruct us. Which we seemed not
to refuse, and desiring not to be unthankful, gave them
a piece of money and a piece of linen cloth ; but they
stayed still by us, and they that were in the great
lodgie held up bacon and butter unto us, to move us
to come aboard of them again, and so we did. And
being with them, they showed us that we were still
on the east side of the point of Candinaes. Then we
fetched our card and let them see it, by the which they
showed us that we were still on the east side of the
White Sea and of Candinaes ; which we understanding,

188 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

were in some doubt with ourselves, because we had so
great a voyage to make over the White Sea, arid were
in more fear for our companions that were in the
boat, as also that having sailed 88 miles right across
the sea, we had gotten no further, but were then
to sail over the mouth of the White Sea with so
small provision. For which cause the master bought of
the Russians three sacks with meal, two flitches and
a half of bacon, a pot of Russia butter, and a runlet of
honey, for provision for us and our boat, when we should
meet with it again. And for that in the meantime
the flood was past, we sailed with the ebb out of the
aforesaid creek, where the Russians' boat came to us,
and entered into the sea with a good south-east wind,
holding our course- north-north-west; and there we
saw a point that reached out into the sea, which we
thought to be Candinaes, but we sailed still forward,
and the land reached north-west. In the evening, the
sun being north-west, when we saw that we did not
much good with rowing, and that the stream was
almost past, we lay still, and sod a pot full of water
and meal, which tasted exceeding well, because we
had put some bacon fat and honey into it, so that we
thought it to be a festival day with us ; but still our
minds ran upon our boat, because we knew not where
it was.

The 17 of August, lying at anchor, in the morning
at break of day we saw a Russian lodgie, that came
sailing out of the White Sea, to whom we rowed, that
we might have some instruction from him; and when
we boarded him, without asking or speaking unto him,
he gave us a loaf of bread, and b}^ signs showed us, as
well as he could, that he had seen our companions, and

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 189

that there was seven men in the boat. But we not
knowing well what they said, neither yet believing
them, they made other signs unto us, and held up their
seven fingers and pointed to our scute, thereby showing
that there were so many men in the boat, and that
they had sold them bread, flesh, fish, and other victuals.
And while we stayed in their lodgie, we saw a small
compass therein, which we knew that they had bought
of our chief boatswain, which they likewise acknow-
ledged. Then we understanding them well, asked them
how long it was since they saw our boat, and where-
abouts it was, and they made signs unto us, that it was
the day before. And to conclude, they showed us
great friendship, for the which we thanked them ; and
so, being glad of the good news we had heard, we took
our leaves of them, much rejoicing that we heard of
our companions' welfare, and specially because they
had gotten victuals from the Russians, which was the
thing that we most doubted of, in regard that we knew
what small provision they had with them. Which
done, we rowed as hard as we could, to try if we might
overtake them, as being still in doubt that they had
not provision enough, wishing that they had had part
of ours: and having rowed all that day with great
labour along by the land, about midnight we found a
fall of fresh water, and then we went on land to fetch
some, and there also we got some leple leaves. And
as we thought to row forward, we were forced to sail,
because the flood was past, and still we looked earnestly
out for the point of Candinaes, and the five crosses,
whereof we had been instructed by the Russians, but
we could not see it.

The 18 of August, in the morning, the sun being

190 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

east, we pulled up our stone (which we used instead
of an anchor), and rowed along by the land till the
sun was south. Then we saw a point of land reaching
into the sea, and on it certain signs of crosses, which,
as we went nearer unto, we saw perfectly ; and when the
sun was west, we perceived that the land reached west
and south-west, so that thereby we knew it certainly
to be the point of Candinaes, lying at the mouth of
the White Sea, which we were to cross, and had long
desired to see it.

And so, having a good north-east wind (which it
would not do for us to neglect), we set forward in the
name of God, and we took our departure when the sun
was north-west, and all that night and the next day
sailed with a good wind, and in all that time rowed but
while three glasses were run out; and the next night
after ensuing, having still a good wind, in the morning
about the east-north-east sun we saw land on the west
side of the White Sea, which we found by the rushing of
the sea upon the land before we saw it. And perceiving
it to be full of cliffs, and not low sandy ground with
some hills, as it is on the east side of the White Sea, we
assured ourselves that we were on the west side of the
White Sea, upon the coast of Lapland; for the which
we thanked God, that He had helped us to sail over
the White Sea in thirty hours, it being 160 miles at
the least, our course being west with a north-east
wind.

The 20 of August, being not far from the land,
the north-east wind left us, and then it began to blow
stiff north-west; at which time, seeing we could not
make much way by sailing forward, we determined
to put in between certain cliffs, and when we got close

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 191

to the land we espied certain crosses with directions
upon them, whereby we understood that it was a good
roadstead, and so put into it. And being entered a little
way within it, we saw a great Russian lodgie lying at
an anchor, whereunto we rowed as fast as we could,
and there also we saw certain houses wherein men
dwelt. And when we got to the lodgie, we anchored
there, and cast our tent over the scute, for as then
it began to rain. Then we went on land into the
houses that stood upon the shore, where they showed
us great friendship, leading us into their stoves, and
there dried our wet clothes, and then, seething some
fish, bade us sit down and eat somewhat with them.
In those little houses we found thirteen Russians, who
every morning went out to fish in the sea; whereof
two of them had charge over the rest. They lived
very poorly, and ordinarily ate nothing but fish. At
evening, when we prepared ourselves to go to our
scute again, they prayed the master and me to stay
with them in their houses, which the master thanked
them for, would not do, but I stayed with them all that
night.

The 21 of August, after noon, we saw two men upon
the hills, whereupon we said one to the other, " Here-
abouts there must more people dwell, for there come
two men towards us " ; but we, regarding them not, went
back again to our scute and towards the houses. The
two men that were upon the hills (being some of our
men that were in the other boat), perceiving also the
Russian lodgie, came down the hill towards her to buy
some victuals of them. Who being come thither unpre-
pared and having no money about them, they agreed
between them to put off one of their pair of breeches

192 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

(for that as then we wore two or three pair, one over
the other), to sell them for some victuals. But when
they came down the hill and were somewhat nearer
unto us, they espied our scute lying by the lodgie,
and we as then beheld them better and knew them;
wherewith we rejoiced, and showed each other of our
proceedings, and how we had sailed to and fro in great
necessity and hunger, and yet they had been in greater
necessity and danger, than we, and gave God thanks that
He had preserved us alive, and brought us together
again. And then we ate something together, and
drank of the clear water, such as runneth along by
Cologne through the Rhine, and then we agreed that
they should come unto us, that we might sail to-
gether.

The 22 of August the rest of our men with the
boat came - unto us about the east- south-east sun,
whereat we much rejoiced, and then we prayed the
Russians' cook to bake a sack of meal for us, and to
make it bread, paying him for it, which he did. And
in the meantime, when the fishermen came with their
fish out of the sea, our master bought four cods of
them, which we sod and ate. And while we were at
meat, the chief of the Russians came unto us, and
perceiving that we had not much bread, he fetched a
loaf and gave it us, and although we desired them to
sit down and eat some meat with us, yet we could
by no means get them to grant thereunto, because it
was their fasting day, and for that we had poured
butter and fat into our fish ; nor we could not get them
once to drink with us, because our cup was somewhat
greasy, they were so superstitious touching their fasting
and religion. Neither would they lend us any of their

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 193

cups to drink in, lest they should likewise be greased.
At that time the wind was constantly north-west.

The 23 of August the cook began to knead our
meal, and made us bread thereof. Which being done,
and the wind and the weather beginning to be some-
what better, we made ourselves ready to depart from
thence; at which time, when the Russians came from
fishing, our master gave their chief commander a good
piece of money, in regard of the friendship that he had
showed us, and gave somewhat also to the cook, for
the which they yielded us great thanks. At which
time, the chief of the Russians desired our master to
give him some gunpowder, which he did. And when
we were ready to sail from thence, we put a sack of
meal out of our scute into the boat, lest we should
chance to stray one from the other again, that they
might help themselves therewith. And so • about
evening, when the sun was west, we set sail and de-
parted from thence, and on the 25 we got to the west
end of Kilduin.

And when we came there, we found a small house
upon the shore, wherein there was three men and a
great dog, which received us very friendly, asking us
of our affairs and how we got thither. Whereunto we
made answer, and showed them that we had lost our ship,
and that we were come thither, to see if we could get
a ship, that would bring us into Holland. Whereunto
they made us answer, that there was three ships at
Kola, whereof two were to set sail from thence that
day. Then we asked them, if they would go with one
of our men by land to Kola, to look for a ship where-
with we might get into Holland, and said we would
reward them well for their pains; but they excused

A. p. 13

194 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

themselves, and said that they could not go from thence,
but they said that they would bring us over the hill,
where we should find certain Laplanders, whom they
thought would go with us, as they did ; for the master
and one of our men going with them over the hill, found
certain Laplanders there, whereof they got one to go
with our man, promising him two reals of eight for
his pains.

The 29 of August it was indifferent fair weather,
and we were still in good hope to hear some good
news from Kola, and always looked up towards the
hill, to see if our man and the Laplander came ; but
seeing they came not, we went to the Russians again,
and there drest our meat, and then meant to go to
our scutes to lodge in them all night. In the meantime
we spied the Laplander coming alone without our
man, whereat we wondered and were somewhat in
doubt; but when he came unto us, he showed us a
letter, that was written unto our master, which he
opened before us, the contents thereof being that he,
that had written the letter, wondered much at our
arrival in that place, and that long since he verily
thought that we had been all cast away, being exceeding
glad of our happy fortune, and how that he would
presently come unto us with victuals, and all other
necessaries to succour us withal. We being in no
small admiration, who it might be, that showed us
so great favour and friendship, could not imagine
what he was, for it appeared by the letter that he knew
us well. And although the letter was subscribed
"by me, John Cornelison Rijp," yet we could not be
persuaded that it was the same John Cornelison, who
the year before had been set out in the other ship

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 195

with us, and left us about the Bear Island. For those
good news we paid the Laplander his hire, and beside
that, gave him hose, breeches, and other furniture, so
that he was apparelled like a Hollander; for as then
we thought ourselves to be wholly out of danger, and
so being of good comfort, we laid us down to rest.
Here I cannot choose but show you how fast the
Laplander went: for when he went to Kola, as our
companion told us, they were two days and two
nights on the way, and yet went apace; and when he
came back again, he was but a day and a night coming
to us, which was wonderful, it being but half the time,
so that we said, and verily thought, that he was half
a conjurer; and he brought us a partridge, which he
had killed by the way, as he went.

The 30 of August it was indifferent fair weather,
we still wondering, who that John Cornelison might
be, that had written unto us ; and while we sat musing
thereon, some of us were of opinion, that it might be
the same John Cornelison, that had sailed out of Holland
in company with us ; which we could not be persuaded
to believe, because we were in as little hope of his life,
as he of ours, supposing that he had sped worse than
we, and long before that had been cast away. At
last the master said, " I will look amongst my letters,
for there I have his handwriting, and that will put us
out of doubt." And so, looking amongst them, we
found that it was the same John Cornelison ; wherewith
we were as glad of his safety and welfare, as he was of
ours. And while we were speaking thereof, and that
some of us would not believe that it was the same
John Cornelison. we saw a Russian joll come rowing,
with John Cornelison and our companion, that we

13—2

196 William Barents. Third Voyage Northward

had sent to Kola. Who being landed, we received
and welcomed each other with great joy and exceeding
gladness, as if either of us on both sides had seen each
other rise from death to life again; for we esteemed
him, and he us, to be dead long since. He brought
us a barrel of Roswick beer, wine, aqua vitae, bread,
flesh, bacon, salmon, sugar, and other things, which
comforted and relieved us much. And we rejoiced
together for our so unexpected meeting, at that time
giving God great thanks for His mercy showed unto us.

The 31 of August it was indifferent fair weather,
the wind easterly, but in the evening it began to blow
hard from the land; and then we made preparation
to sail from thence to Kola, first taking our leaves of
the Russians, and heartily thanking them for their
courtesy showed unto us, and gave them a piece of
money for their good wills; and at night, about the
north sun, we sailed from thence at high water.

The 1 of September, in the morning, with the
east sun, we got to the west side of the river of Kola.

The 11 of September, by leave and consent of
the boyard, governor for the Great Prince of Muscovia,
we brought our scute and our boat into the merchants'
house, and there let them stand for a remembrance of
our long, far, and never before sailed way, and that
we had sailed in those open scutes almost 1600 miles,
through and along by the sea coasts to the town
of Kola, whereat the inhabitants thereof could not
sufficiently wonder.

The 15 of September we went into a lodgie, and
sailed down the river with all our goods and our men
to John Cornelison's ship, which lay about two miles
from the town, and that day sailed in the ship down

William Barents. Third Voyage Northward 197

the river, till we were beyond the narrowest part
thereof, which was about half the river, and there
stayed for John Cornelison and our master, that said
they would come to us the next day.

The 17 of September, John Cornelison and our
master being come aboard, the next day, about the
east sun, we set sail out of the river of Kola, and with
God's grace put to sea to sail homewards; and upon
the first of November, about noon, got to Amsterdam,
in the same clothes that we ware in Nova Zembla,
with our caps furred with white foxes' skins, and went
to the house of Peter Hasselaer, that was one of the
merchants that set out the two ships, which were
conducted by John Cornelison and our master. And
being there, where many men wondered to see us, as
having esteemed us long before that to have been dead
and rotten, the news thereof being spread abroad in
the town, it was also carried to the Prince's Court
in the Hague; at which time the Lord Chancellor of
Denmark, ambassador for the said king, was then at
dinner with Prince Maurice. For the which cause we
were presently fetched thither by the scout and two
of the burghers of the town, and there, in the presence
of the said lord ambassador and the burgomasters, we
made rehearsal of our journey both forwards and
backwards. And after that, every man that dwelt
thereabouts went home, but such as dwelt not near to
that place, were placed in good lodgings for certain
days, until we had received our pay, and then every
one of us departed and went to the place of his
abode.

APPENDIX TO THE THIRD VOYAGE
OF W. BARENTS

Although Dutch walrus-hunters and others had
been near the house where Barents and his companions
wintered, the spot was un visited for nearly 300 years.
In 1871 a Norwegian sloop, The Solid, Captain Carlsen,
reached the coast of Novaya Zemlya. The following
are extracts from his log :

"Saturday, Sep. 9 6 o'clock in

the afternoon, we saw walrus on the ice, boats were
lowered, and we caught two of them; we also saw a
house on shore, which had fallen down. At noon we
observed the latitude 76° 12', the distance from shore
guessed. The house on shore was 16 metres long by
10 metres broad, and the fir- wood planks, of which it
was composed, were 1J inches thick by from 14 to 16
inches broad, and as far as we could make out they
were nailed together. The first things we saw amongst
the ruins of the house were two ships' cooking pans of
copper, a crowbar or bar of iron, a gun-barrel, an alarum,
a clock, a chest in which was found several files and
other instruments, many engravings, a flute, and also
a few articles of dress. There were also two other
chests, but they were empty, only filled up with ice,
and there was an iron frame over the fireplace with
shifting bar.

"Tuesday, 12. Gale from the S.W. We are
obliged to return to Ledenaji Bay (Ice Harbour), where
on the evening of the 9th we had found the ruined
house. At noon we anchored in the bay, and went
again on shore and found several things, viz. : candle-
sticks, tankards with lid of zinc, a sword, a halberd

200 Appendix to the Third Voyage of W. Barents

head, two books, several navigation instruments, an
iron chest already quite rusted.

"Thursday, 14. Calm with clear sky. 4 o'clock
in the morning we went ashore further to investigate
the wintering place. On digging we found again
several objects, such as drumsticks, a hilt of a sword,
and spears. Altogether it seemed that the people had
been equipped in a warlike manner, but nothing was
found which could indicate the presence of human
remains. On the beach we found pieces of wood
which had formerly belonged to some part of a ship,
for which reason I believe that a vessel has been
wrecked there, the crew of which built the house with
the materials of the wreck and afterwards betook
themselves to the boats. Five sailors' trunks were
still in the house, which might also have been used as
five berths, at least as far as we could make out."

On his return, a Norwegian newspaper published
an article containing a few further details, which were
supplied probably by Carlsen himself. He had found
the house "almost hermetically enclosed by a thick
layer of ice. All the objects were likewise covered
by a thick sheet of ice, and this explains the excellent
condition, in which many of the articles were found."
Among them were "a few books in the Dutch language,
which latter makes it almost certain that the relics
belonged to Barendsz and his companions of the year
1596. In the centre of the house, where the fireplace
had probably stood, a great iron frame was found,
on which two ship's copper cooking pans still remained."

Probably some of these things (e.g. the engravings)
were merchandise — intended for China — of which the
ship's cargo partly consisted. In 1875 another Nor-
wegian, Gundersen, visited Ice Harbour and found in
a chest a manuscript Dutch translation of Pet and
Jackman's Voyage of 1580, two charts, etc.

Lastly in 1876, an Englishman, Mr Charles Gardiner,
in the yacht Glow-worm, landed and spent three days
in searching the ruined house, and discovered more

Appendix to the Third Voyage of W. Barents 201

than a hundred articles under the ice. These consisted
largely of remains of carpenters' tools, weapons, and
sailors' materials. There were also a seal, a lead
inkstand, quill pens, an iron pair of compasses, a
harpoon, twenty wax candles, three Dutch books,
two Dutch coins, a measure, and the ship's flag of
Amsterdam . In one of the powder-horns was the manu-
script which Barents left behind hung up in the chimney
— a short record signed by Barents and Heemskerck —
legible except for a few words.

These relics are now in the National Museum at
Amsterdam.

13—5

NOTES

FROBISHER: FIRST VOYAGE

The black figures refer to pages and the plain figures to lines.

1, 1. General. The commander of a fleet. His ship was
the Admiral.

2. Cataya (or Cathay). Another name for China. Knowledge
was so vague that these were sometimes thought to be distinct
empires.

Capo de Buona Speranca. The Cape of Good Hope.

2, 26. pretended. Intended.

29. He departed upon the said voyage from Black wall.
On the way down the Thames they passed the Court, then at
Greenwich, " where we shot off our ordnance and made the best show
we could. Her Majesty, beholding the same, commended it, and
bade us farewell, with shaking her hand at us out of the window."
(From the account of the voyage by Hall, Master in the Gabriel.)

4, 3. Frisland. An imaginary land on old charts near the
east coast of Greenland. Frobisher had really reached South
Greenland.

5, 15. Frobisher's Straits. The bay (Frobisher Bay) in
the south of Baffin Land, to the north of Hudson Strait.

24. mankind. Masculine, vicious. " A mankind witch."
Shakespeare, Winter's Tale, n. iii.

6, 27. come within our men's danger. Get into their
power.

33. lowbell. A bell used in bird-batting (a method of taking
birds at night with a net and light).

8, 24. marquesite. From an Arab word meaning pyrites.
This mineral sometimes contains a trace of gold.

26. goldfiners. Gold refiners or assayers.

Notes 203

FROBISHER: SECOND VOYAGE

10, 3. Cataya, China. See note p. 1,1. 2.

11, 36. Hope. An anchorage.

12, 10. condemned men. Criminals who were to be landed
in Greenland with food and weapons.

19. [cipher] leagues. To keep the course secret, distances,
etc., were in cipher in the manuscript.

13, 17. durance. Imprisonment.

14, 9. account. Reckoning.

19. Frisland. See note p. 4, 1. 3.

15, 1. Zeni. The accounts of these voyages in the 14th century
were probably a 16th century forgery, with the object of proving that
the Venetians had discovered America a century before Columbus.

4. sithence. Since.

5. sea-cards. Charts.

16, 1. bearing yet the dominion. Keeping still above it.
11. surcease. Cease.

17, 8. Hall's Island. Cape Enderby (at the northern entrance
of Frobisher Bay).

19, 11. wafting. Beckoning.
" In such a night
Stood Dido with a willow in her hand
Upon the wild sea banks, and waft her love
To come again to Carthage."

Shakespeare, Merchant of Venice, v. i.

24. point. A lace with a tag used for fastening articles of
;ss.

21, 12. caliver. A large pistol or blunderbuss.

16. furniture. Armour.

23, 16. marquesite. See note p. 8, 1. 24.

28. say. Assay.

31. a great dead fish. A narwhal.

25, 16. northland. Supposed to be part of Asia. See p. 5,
12.

28, 4. cony bury. A rabbit's burrow.

29, 12. advisedly. With deliberation.

14. whether. Which of the two.

15. lively. Living.
33, 4. let. Hindered.

204 Notes

sea room. Clear space for allowing a ship to turn, etc.

" Give us but a good ship and sea room, and we think nothing
of such a squall of wind as that."

Robinson Crusoe (Golden Treasury Edition, p. 7).

35, 9. Queen's Cape. Cape Resolution in Resolution Island
off the southern entrance of Frobisher Bay.

36, 24. kindness. Natural disposition.
39, 11. mine. Mineral ore.

42, 1. for fashion sake. For the sake of custom, or courtesy.
2. cater. Caterer, one who provides food.

18. spoil. Plunder. Compare "to spoil the Egyptians."

43, 1. belayed. Lain hidden.

46, 5. branded. A mixture of red and black.

9. board. Tack.

31. Bristow. Bristol.

DAVIS: FIRST VOYAGE

49, 20. harping iron. Harpoon.

50, 12. breach. Where the waves break.

21. glass. A sand-glass running out in half-an-hour (used
until recently in the Royal Navy).
30. falconet. A light cannon.

51, 3. along the coast. The east coast of Greenland, north
of Cape Farewell.

9. list. The torn edge of cloth. Here "torn cloud."

13. Land of Desolation. Considered a new discovery,
distinct from the land seen by Frobisher (which he supposed to be
Frisland). Longitudes are not given in Frobisher's Voyages, and
Davis made Frobisher's Strait pass through Greenland,, with an
island to the south. So it appears on the New Map of the World,
published about 1600.

53, 5. sounds. Here was Gilbert Sound (64° 8' N.), now God-
thaab, a Danish settlement.

56, 3. scull. School or shoal.

7. Meta Incognita. The Unknown Bourne. Queen Elizabeth
gave this name to the land bordering Frobisher Bay on the south
(South-east Baffin Land).

8. Muscovy glass. Mica, which was used in parts of Russia
instead of glass.

11. corinth. Now altered to "currant." Named after the
town of Corinth, and given originally to the small dried grapes
which came from the Levant.

Notes 205

14. present. Present month.

57, 2. Gape Walsingham. They had crossed the strait and
reached Baffin Land, north of Cumberland Sound.

58, 6. bravest. Brave commonly meant "finely dressed."

16. Newland. Newfoundland.

20. Cape of God's Mercy. At the north entrance of Cumber-
land Sound.

25. entrance or passage. Cumberland Sound.

59, 30. flean. Flayed.

61, 10. snite. A snipe, so called from the length of the bill
or snout.

24. tried. "To try" is to lie under try-sails (i.e. with very
little sail set).

25. goose wing. A sail with only its lower corners set.

DAVIS: SECOND VOYAGE

62, 10. land. The southern extremity of Greenland. Here
Davis divided his fleet, and sent the Sunshine and Northstar to
seek a passage northward between Greenland and Iceland. After
harbouring in Iceland, they sailed north-west, reached " two firm
lands of ice," and then turned back towards Greenland and reached
Gilbert Sound on August 3rd. Failing to meet the rest of the fleet
here, as' arranged, they left for England on August 31st. On
September 3rd, in a very great storm, the Sunshine lost sight of
the Northstar and reached England alone at the end of the month.

63, 4. same place. Gilbert Sound. There is an error in
Davis's longitude.

64, 16. salmon peel. Young salmon weighing less than 2 lbs.
29. train oil. An oil got from the whale.

65, 11. gripe. (Griffin) Gerfalcon.

66, 10. Iliaout. "I mean no harm." So interpreted by the
explorers.

14. elan. Elk.

17. witches. Used for the masculine (wizards).
25. train. See note p. 64, 1. 29.

67, 12. caliver. See note to Frobisher 2, p. 21, 1. 12.

18. falcon. A cannon larger than a falconet, about 7 feet in
length, throwing a 3 lb. ball.

68, 7. artificially. Skilfully.

69, 9. to stop a flood. To wait for the flood tide (which was
against them) to ebb.

206 Notes

10. miscreants. Unbelievers.

26. tolled. Drew, enticed.

71, 30. stickle. Rapid.

72, 25. contentation. Content.

73, 7. the land in latitude 66 degrees, etc. The American
shore of the strait.

13. graved the Moonshine. "To grave" is to clean a ship's
bottom of weeds, etc., and tar it.
22. flood. The flood tide.

74, 19. a very fair promontory. The Cape of God's Mercy,
which he had discovered and named on his first voyage.

75, 3. to lie at hull. To lie-to, i.e. to come almost to a stop
with head near wind. "To hull" also means to drive without sails
or rudder.

9. a very high hill. Probably on Resolution Island, at the
entrance of Hudson Strait.

21. lay upon the lee. Heaved- to.

76, 1. pheasant, partridge. Ptarmigans.
8. coasted the shore. Labrador.

16. suavle. Possibly a corruption of swe)>el, close packed.

17. scull. See note p. 56, 1. 3.

24. two lands west. Hamilton Inlet (Labrador), or the
strait between Newfoundland and the mainland.

77, 13. presently. At the present, at once.

27. junk. An old, worn out rope.

DAVIS: THIRD VOYAGE

78, 9. clincher. A clinker-built pinnace (made with the
outside planks overlapping one another). Two of the ships were
to go fishing, to help pay expenses.

79, 28. we discovered land. The west coast of Greenland.
The south coast had been rounded without being seen.

80, 8. kerned. Corned, granulated.

20. saker. An old kind of cannon, eight to ten feet long,
throwing a 4 lb. to 7 lb. shot.

81, 17. had three hundred strokes. To keep the water out
of the ship, three hundred strokes of the pump were necessary
during one watch (four hours).

82, 12. unicorn. See Frobisher 2, p. 24, 1. 5.
28. chichsanege. Probably sealskins.

Notes 207

83, 4. London Coast. Greenland.

8. Hope Sanderson. After the London merchant to whom
the enterprise owed so much (see p. 48, 1. 20) . This was the extreme
northern point reached.

shaped our course west. Crossing the gulf now called Baffin
Bay.

84, 14. we were thwart the straits. The ice had forced
them southwards, so that land was not seen until they were about
the narrow part of Davis Strait.

27. hot. " This 25 we were becalmed almost in the bottom
of the straits, and had the weather marvellous extreme hot " —
Davis's Log-book.

85, 7. ruts. The dashing of waves.
20. a very great gulf. Hudson Strait.

26. Chidley's Cape. Named after John Chudleigh or Chidley,
an intimate friend of Davis.

87, 1. Biscayan. The Biscayans were expert whale fishers,
and from them the English learnt the art. In early times a species
of large whale frequented the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic, and
was the most important source of wealth to the ports from St Jean
de Luz to Santander. This gradually disappeared, and the Basque
fishermen sailed north for whales to Newfoundland and Spitzbergen.
When the English began to fish for whales round Spitzbergen, they
used to enter a number of these men in each fleet.

HUDSON: LAST VOYAGE

89, 6. the capes where the fowl bred. Cape Wolstenholme
and one opposite on Digges Islands. They were named by Hudson
after two of the principal merchants responsible for the voyage —
Sir Dudley Digges and Sir John Wolstenholme.

91, 18. piece. A gun.

94, 19. seine. A fishing net.

97, 3. they would have me stay in the ship. The mutineers
had saved Prickett, "as is thought, in hope by Sir Dudley Digges,
his master, to procure their pardon at their return."

100, 12. He rose and went into the hold. i.e. John King.

101, 8. horn. A thin plate of horn, serving as a window.
12. the carpenter. Philip Staff e, an Ipswich man.

27. the capes. See p. 89, 1. 6, and note.

102, 16. John Hudson. Henry Hudson's son, according to
Purchas.

103, 23. card. Chart.

208 Notes

28. tale. Number.

105, 17. the capes. They had lost their way, and were
longing to reach the Capes (Wolstenholme and Digges), where they
had entered Hudson Bay, and where they had found a plentiful
supply of birds.

107, 29. a snare. A slip-knot.

108, 5. morses. Walruses.

109, 16. Jews' trumps. Jew's-harps.

111, 29. it feared. Frightened.
our master. Bylot.

112, 12. lay a-try. See note p. 61, 1. 24.

28. the Desolations. South Greenland.

113, 13. reasty. Generally of bacon: rancid.

29. steep-tub. A large tub for soaking salt provisions before
cooking.

114, 6. the Durseys. Dursey Island, off the west coast of
Ireland, to the north of the entrance to Bantry Bay.

12. Bere Haven. In Bantry Bay.

20. Sir Thomas Smith. One of the principal merchants
responsible for the voyage.

BARENTS: THIRD VOYAGE

116, 10. Barents. Barentsz, a contraction of Barentszoon
(which was his proper name), meaning son of Barent or Bernard.

26. cross through the great roundel. Right through the
great circle (of the former rainbow).

117, 11. island. Bear Island, sometimes called Cherry
Island.

118, 9. four glasses. Two hours.

18. brooked it not well. It did not agree with us.
22. we saw land again. Spitzbergen (though they supposed
it to be part of Greenland).

120, 2. scute. Any small boat. The smaller boat (the yawl)
is sometimes referred to by the translator as " the boat " : sometimes
both are called " scutes."

121, 12. brentgeese. Called also " barnacle " geese. They
are smaller than a goose, with black and white feathers.

27. burst in sunder and are lost. A fable which was
commonly believed in the 16th century until this account was
published.

Notes 209

123, 8. Ice Point. The northernmost point of Novaya
Zemlya.

127, 33. vice. A screw or jack.

128, 29. harts and hinds. "Deer and elks."

129, 4. wound. Tacked.

130, 30. with more ease. " Three remained behind with the
wood, to hew it, so that it might be the lighter to draw."

131, 1. the principals. The beams or principal timbers.

6. to make up our house. " To close up (the sides) of the
house."

132, 22. overhead. " Somewhat higher in the middle."

133, 10. cahins. Cots.

17. shot at her with pieces of wood. " Threw pieces of fire-
wood at her."

29. spruce-beer. Originally a decoction in beer or water of
the leaf- buds of the spruce fir, used for rheumatism, etc. After-
wards applied to beer brewed at Dantzic, without these leaf-buds.

135, 13. no means to shoot. Their firearms had matchlocks.
31. strike. "We set up our clock, so that it (went and)

struck (the hour)."

136, 10. chirurgeon. Surgeon (who was also the barber).
15, 16. at the setting of the sun. . . .it rose. When the sun

disappeared and when it came back again.

23. in the highest degree. At 76° the moon continues
above the horizon for 7 or 8 days every month.

139, 23. sea-coals. "Stone or mineral coal": so called to
distinguish it from charcoal, the usual fuel on the continent. Sea-
coal was applied originally to coal brought by sea from Newcastle.

142, 26. disease. Discomfort.

143, 8. Twelfth Even. "Three Kings' Even." Twelfth-
night is really on January 5th — the eve of the festival of Epiphany
— but since the Reformation it has been kept on January 6th.

145, 11. broke our fasts. "Ate the funeral meal."
149, 27. the stairs. The steps cut in the snow.
151, 13. in the highest. A mistake for "lowest." He
meant that the sun was on the meridian in the north.

154, 10. arquebus. An early kind of portable gun, supported
on a rest, or by a hook on a tripod.

155, 14. a piece of a buck, etc. "Pieces of seals with the
skin and hair."

25. to amend our boat withal. " Wherewith to raise the
gunwale of our yawl."

210 Notes

160, 1. into a musket's charge. "And William Barents
had previously written a small scroll and placed it in a bandoleer."
33. dryfats. Trunks.

162, 22. Ice Point. See note p. 123, 1. 8.

163, 30. howell. Hummock.

168, 18. to discharge. To empty and re-load.

170, 1. impeachments. Hindrances.

7. mended. "Where we had added to it."

31. dryfat. See note p. 160, 1. 33.

33. bunged with the ice. Was stove in by the ice.

171, 28. helm stick. The tiller of the rudder.
173, 26. eight foot thick. Eight feet in girth.

176, 14. between every meal-tide. In every 24 hours.
26. the Black Point. Cape Negro.

178, 11. had been in our ship. During the previous
voyage.

179, 10. lodging. Like lodgie (p. 177, 1. 8), intended for a
Russian word for boat.

22. departed from John Cornelison. At Bear Island, on
July 1st, 1596. See p. 122.

180, 33. leple leaves. Scurvy grass.

181, 16. point of trust. "Patience was our fore-land,"
namely, always before them.

182, 4. get out of the creek. The mouth of the river
Petchora.

24. if we had found any relief. " If looking deplorable
could have helped us."

183, 9. Gandinaes. Cape Kanin Nos, at the entrance to the
White Sea.

21. when we were most in despair. " But help Us when
least foreseen."

184, 21. Russian lodgie. See note p. 179, 1. 10.

185, 9. a piece of eight reals. A Spanish dollar. A real
was a silver coin worth about sixpence.

186, 1. the north coast. "The coast of Norway."
11. we saw land. The west side of Tcheskaia Bay.
16. Kilduin. Kildin Island, off the coast of Lapland.

187, 10. Zembla de Cool. Zemlya is the Russian word for
land. Cool is Kola in Lapland.

188, 20. Stream. Tide.

189, 9. chief boatswain. The first mate.

Notes . 211

28. And as we thought to row forward, we were forced
to sail, because the flood was past. "When we intended to
proceed on our voyage, we were forced to remain lying there,
because the tide had run out."

190, 16. three glasses were run out. An hour and a half.

191, 11. stoves. Rooms heated by a stove.

192, 12. drank of the clear water. "Drank of the pure
article." There is a play on the Dutch word for " clear " or " pure,"
which is applied to spirits as well as to water.

194, 7. two reals of eight. Two Spanish dollars of eight
reals. See note p. 185, 1. 9.

195, 1. about the Bear Island. See p. 122.

3. furniture. Anything that furnishes. Often "armour";
here "clothes."

32. joll. A yawl.

196, 6. Roswick. A town in West Bothnia (Sweden).
aqua vitae. Here used for gin.

20. the river of Kola. The entrance to Kola is a bay, not
a river.

22. boyard. A Russian title for a nobleman, or great man.

197, 21. Prince Maurice. A mistranslation. There is
nothing about the Hague or Prince Maurice in the original, which
runs : " where the noble lords, the Chancellor and the Ambassador
from the most illustrious King of Denmark, Norway, Goths and
Vandals, were then at table."

22. the scout and two of the burghers of the town. The
sheriff and two town-councillors.

29. every one of us departed, etc. Twelve men (out of the
original ship's company of seventeen) returned.

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